Service Activities and the Evolution of Production Systems: An International Comparison

Abstract

Modern production systems are characterized by an increasing interdependence between services and the production of goods. The nature of such systems cannot be adequately represented by traditional economic typologies that are based upon the ‘product’ of a sector, and that accentuate the distinction between the manufacture of goods and the production of services. The interdependence between goods and services is explored and a more appropriate typology is proposed that is based upon the concept of the economic function of an establishment. This typology is then used to develop a more precise representation of the structure and evolution of production systems at the national scale in Denmark, France, Switzerland, and Canada, and at the urban scale in the last two countries. On the basis of this analysis, a set of alternative models towards which developed economies may be evolving are proposed.