Gereffi's research interests deal with the competitive strategies of global firms, the governance of global value chains, industrial upgrading in East Asia and Latin America, and the emerging global knowledge economy.  His major ongoing research projects are:  (1) industrial upgrading, global production networks, and decent work in East Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe; (2) analyzing the competitiveness of North Carolina industries in the global economy, utilizing a value chain perspective {see http://www.soc.duke.edu/NC_GlobalEconomy/}; (3) engineering outsourcing in the United States, China, and India; (4) innovation and commercialization in the global nanotechnology industry; and (5) a global value chain perspective on the emerging childhood obesity pandemic.