Ikuo Kuroiwa is Professor at Faculty of International Economic Studies, University of Niigata Prefecture (UNP), specialized in regional economics and East Asian economies with particular emphasis on economic integration and the formation of production networks in this region. Before he joined UNP, he had been working for Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO) for more than 30 years. While he was a researcher at IDE-JETRO, he was posted to the US, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand to conduct research on East Asian economies. In recent years, however, he has expanded his scope of analysis and conducted research on GVCs in Africa and other developing regions.

During his temporary assignment to the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Jakarta, Indonesia between 2008 and 2011, he contributed several flagship projects related to the economic integration in ASEAN and neighboring countries such as the Comprehensive Asia Development Plan (CADP), ASEAN-India Connectivity, the ASEAN Strategic Transport Plan (ASTP), and the Masterplan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC).

He has published articles on Southeast Asian economies in refereed journals for example "The Malaysian Economy after the Global Financial Crisis: International Capital Flows, Exchange Rates, and Policy Responses", Public Policy Review, 15(1), pp.69-98, July 2019; "Five Growth Strategies for Myanmar: Re-engagement with the Global Economy"(co-authored with T. Kudo and S. Kumagai), Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 31(2), pp.173-194, August 2014; and "Monetary Policy in a Small Open Economy: The Case of Malaysia", The Developing Economies, 45(4),pp.437-464, December 2007.

Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 GVC participation and trade.- Chapter 3 Upgrading in GVCs.- Chapter 4 Measuring connectivity in global maritime and aviation networks.- Chapter 5 Technological intensities of exports in East Asia.