Repenser la politique industrielle en faveur de l’économie des services

This research paper by Pierre Sauvé argues for a paradigm shift in industrial policy, moving from a traditional focus on manufacturing to one that prioritizes the services economy. The author contends that services are no longer merely residual activities but are essential inputs that drive productivity, innovation, and competitiveness across all economic sectors, including agriculture and manufacturing.

• Services now constitute approximately two-thirds of global GDP, the majority of employment, and an increasing share of cross-border investments and trade, particularly via digital channels.
• Traditional industrial policy frameworks are outdated because they rely on manufacturing-centric tools like tariffs and local content rules, which are ill-suited for the intangible nature of services and the movement of capital and labor.
• Intermediate services—those integrated into the production of other goods and services—are valued at approximately two and a half times the value of final services trade, highlighting their role as a driver of overall economic productivity.
• An effective industrial policy for services should be built on five pillars: reliable infrastructure (energy, broadband, transport, payment), strategic foreign direct investment, human capital and skills development, pro-competitive regulatory quality, and robust physical and digital connectivity.
• For developing economies, a services-led growth strategy offers structural advantages over manufacturing, including lower capital intensity, a smaller minimum scale for global competitiveness through niche specialization, higher potential for inclusive employment, and a lower carbon footprint.
• Governments have significantly more policy space to experiment with services-led industrial policy than with manufacturing because the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is more flexible and less restrictive regarding subsidies and tariffs than the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

APA

Sauvé, P. (n.d.). Repenser la politique industrielle en faveur de l’économie des services. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy

Chicago

Sauvé, Pierre. Repenser la politique industrielle en faveur de l’économie des services. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sauvé |first1=Pierre |title=Repenser la politique industrielle en faveur de l’économie des services |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sauvndrepenser, author = {Sauvé, Pierre}, title = {{Repenser la politique industrielle en faveur de l’économie des services}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }