Beyond the Flat World

Key Insights

Globalization has led to regional power blocs rather than a truly flat world.
Concentrated commerce in hubs like Factory Asia shapes global supply chains.
Technological advancements, such as 5G and robotics, are redefining economic landscapes.
Understanding regional dynamics is crucial for effective policy-making in a globalized economy.
Neighborhood economies play a significant role in global trade and development.

References

Friedman, T. L. (2005). The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Baldwin, R. (2016). The Great Convergence: Information Technology and the New Globalization. Harvard University Press.
Gereffi, G. (2018). Global Value Chains and Development: Redefining the Contours of 21st Century Capitalism. Cambridge University Press.
Sturgeon, T. J. (2002). Modular production networks: A new American model of industrial organization. Industrial and Corporate Change, 11(3), 451-496.
Dicken, P. (2015). Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy. Guilford Press.

A vintage world map overlaid with glowing, concentrated regional economic webs.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home The story of the global economy over the past four decades is one that has been told and retold in countless books, speeches, articles, and news clips. The pervasive narrative suggests that the world has become “flat,” a seamless, borderless marketplace where technology has erased the significance of distance, allowing companies, workers, and money to flow freely across continents in an era known as globalization. ...

A colossal steel shipping container next to a glowing circuit board, symbolizing concentrated economic activity connected by intense, localized digital webs.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home In the foundational narrative of globalization, the world became “flat”—a seamless marketplace where the cost of distance plummeted to near zero, allowing commerce to flow effortlessly across oceans and continents. This narrative hinges on the transformative power of technology, which enabled global supply chains to link dozens of countries in the collective creation of everything from airplanes to sneakers. ...

Historical European flags merging into a Euro currency symbol, resting on ancient Roman ruins, with modern infrastructure in the background.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home The narrative of regionalization is nowhere more evident, or more thoroughly constructed, than in Europe. While many global supply chains, including those in North America and Asia, developed primarily through corporate initiative and market forces, Europe’s integration was fundamentally built “through diplomacy.” ...

Massive Asian assembly line tightly networked by cables, with a faint V-formation of flying geese silhouettes in the background.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes)

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home The dramatic restructuring of the global economy over the last half-century created three immense regional manufacturing hubs: Europe, North America, and Asia. While Europe built its dominant economic bloc through a dense framework of continuous political treaties and supranational legal institutions, Asia’s integration followed a radically different path: it was achieved primarily “through business.” ...

Three national structures separated by reflective glass borders, with a rusted semi-truck stuck at a border crossing, symbolizing reluctant integration.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home The world’s economic landscape is defined by three powerful regional hubs: Asia, Europe, and North America. While Europe forged its economic dominance through diplomatic treaty-making and supranational legal institutions, and Asia achieved its scale through flexible, corporate-led supply chains, North America’s integration followed a distinct—and ultimately less cohesive—path. ...

Vector illustration of a robotic arm next to a glowing holographic projection showing regional consumer growth, symbolizing high-tech regional advantage.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home For over four decades, the engine of internationalization—the massive growth in global trade, capital flows, and production—was widely believed to have ushered in a “flat world.” Yet, as we have demonstrated, this era resulted not in globalization, but in the intense regionalization of commerce, creating three dominant economic hubs in Asia, Europe, and North America. ...

Three hands representing North America clasped together over a blueprint showing seamless transportation routes, symbolizing collaborative prosperity.

Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity

Beyond the Flat World 1 Beyond the Flat World - Part 1: The Hidden Geography of Commerce: Why Globalization Is a Myth and Regionalism Is the Reality 2 Beyond the Flat World - Part 2: Shipping Containers, Satellites, and SWIFT: The Paradoxical Technology That Made Neighbors Stronger Than Distant Partners 3 Beyond the Flat World - Part 3: From Coal to Currency: How Europe Engineered a $17 Trillion Neighborhood Economy Through Treaties and Trust 4 Beyond the Flat World - Part 4: Factory Asia: The Invisible Supply Chains Built by Flying Geese, Conglomerates, and Cash (Not Handshakes) 5 Beyond the Flat World - Part 5: The Reluctant Triangle: Why NAFTA Couldn't Fully Integrate the U.S., Canada, and Mexico 6 Beyond the Flat World - Part 6: The Next Battleground: How 5G, Robots, and Digital Consumers Are Deepening Regional Economic Advantage 7 Beyond the Flat World - Part 7: Competing in the Regionalized World: Why Isolation Breeds Stagnation and Partnerships Promise Prosperity ← Series Home The belief that the world has become “flat” obscures the reality that global commerce is intensely regionalized, dominated by three immense economic hubs: Asia, Europe, and North America. As the forces that once drove global dispersion—cheap logistics and financial liberalization—are now overshadowed by automation, demographic shifts, and geopolitical tension, the competitive advantages of proximity are set to deepen. ...

Key Insights#

References#

Key Insights

References