How can it be explained why some OECD countries have remained major industrial countries while others have deindustrialised?

We compare OECD countries and try to explain why some of them have remained highly industrialised while others have deindustrialised. The possible explanations are: Changing cost competitiveness; The modernisation of corporate capital; Labour force skills; Spending on Research & Development. We find that all these explanations are pertinent to account for industry's weight and changes in that weight, especially skills and R&D spending.