Supply Chain Structure and the Rise of China's Electric Vehicle Industry

Speaker: Weiting Miao, Postdoctoral Scholar, Environmental Social Sciences, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

This research studies how geoeconomic fragmentation reshapes dynamic technology rivalry. Distilling key empirical features from novel data on the semiconductor foundry industry, I develop and estimate a dynamic oligopoly model of step-by-step innovation with trade disruption risk and industrial policies. In an integrated global market, firms that lag sufficiently behind the technological frontier optimally cease investing, as the step-by-step structure of innovation and persistently thin follower margins limit expected post-innovation rents. Export controls and investment restrictions alter this equilibrium. By reducing direct frontier competition and securing protected home demand, such policies can unintentionally restore innovation incentives for lagging firms, while potentially reducing spillovers and increasing innovation costs. The net effect depends on the trade-off between weaker knowledge diffusion and the rents created by protected domestic markets.

About the Workshops

Our Young Researcher Workshops offer emerging China scholars an opportunity to engage directly with interdisciplinary faculty and peers from across campus to discuss and receive feedback on their research. Each workshop features one or several PhD students presenting their latest empirical findings on issues related to China’s economy. Past topics have included college major selection as an obstacle to socioeconomic mobility, the effect of a cooling-off period on marriage outcomes, and factors contributing to government corruption. Faculty and senior scholars provide comments and feedback for improvement. This event series helps to build and strengthen Stanford’s community of young researchers working on China.

Workshops are held on select Fridays from 12 - 1 pm. Lunch will be provided! 

Visit the Young Researcher Workshops webpage for more information on the content and format of the series and to learn how to sign up to present.