Filtering strategic coupling: territorial intermediaries in oil and gas global production networks in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The Global Production Network (GPN) approach has not yet considered the importance of territorial intermediaries for strategic coupling. This article demonstrates how the prospects of strategic coupling for the case of Vietnam and Indonesia with the oil and gas GPN are affected by the gateway role of Singapore. Based on interviews, the analysis reveals how Singapore influences regional economic development along the GPN through different filtering mechanisms, limiting the potential for strategic coupling for Vietnam and Indonesia. For GPN research, the identified filtering mechanisms illustrate how the territoriality of GPNs contributes to differentiated territorial outcomes. The findings therefore indicate the need to intensify the appreciation of the particular territorial configuration of GPNs as this yields considerable explanatory power for understanding the unequal contours of the global economy.

Cities in ‘multiple globalizations’: insights from the upstream oil and gas World City Network

“…The insights of the studies by Martinus and Tonts (2015) and Breul and Revilla Diez (2017) are taken as a point of departure. Thus, the focus of the analysis is on the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry in order to draw reference and complement the preceding studies.…”

“…Only recently, studies started to broaden the analytical lens of WCNs by exploring cities in 'multiple globalizations', adding insights from other industries. These studies have analyzed city networks of energy companies (Breul & Revilla Diez, 2017;Martinus & Tonts, 2015;Toly et al, 2012), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Toly et al, 2012), pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (Krätke, 2014a), as well as automotive and technology hardware companies (Krätke, 2014b). All studies apply quantitative social network analysis techniques to explore the various WCNs.…”

“…Another recent study by Breul and Revilla Diez (2017) focuses on a subsector of the energy industry: the upstream oil and gas industry. The study traces command and service linkages from Southeast Asian oil and gas fields to the locations from where these where provided.…”

“…While these two studies as well as the aforementioned work have created first insights into alternative WCNs, they are stronger on describing the spatial pattern of the particular WCN, thereby leaving scope and a 'need for greater understanding of the different reasons that are behind cities' inclusion in global networks' (Toly et al, 2012, p. 301). To give an example, three of the aforementioned studies (Breul & Revilla Diez, 2017;Martinus & Tonts, 2015;Toly et al, 2012) reveal the importance of capitals and interpret this finding by the relationship between nation-states and global governance. However, attempts to interpret the revealed spatial footprint are based on assumptions rather than on validated drivers.…”

“…To this aim, it investigates how different central city-nodes are articulated into a particular WCN. Building on existing quantitative insights (Breul & Revilla Diez, 2017;Martinus & Tonts, 2015), it compares how resource-poor Singapore and, by contrast, capital cities of resource-holding states, here exemplified by Jakarta in Indonesia, are articulated into the WCN of the upstream oil and gas industry. The results highlight how different state roles have contributed to the articulation of both cities.…”