Bibliometric review reveals vertical specialisation and strategic positioning driving product fragmentation in global trade, highlighting the need for technological governance.
Key Points
To examine the academic landscape of international product fragmentation by evaluating publication trends, institutional performance, thematic clusters, and research gaps.
Extracted empirical literature from the Scopus database using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework.
Conducted bibliometric performance analysis to assess productivity trends across countries, journals, and institutions.
Performed scientific mapping via keyword co-occurrence and thematic analysis to identify conceptual structures within the field.
Demonstrated that global trade dynamics depend more on vertical specialization and strategic value chain positioning than on basic cost advantages.
Identified value addition, technological advancement, and institutional governance as essential determinants for sustaining fragmented international supply networks.