Promoting Industrial Competitiveness in Developing Countries
Lessons from Asia
As developing countries have started to open up their economies, concern about competitiveness has spread to their policy makers. Their relative competitiveness as production and investment sites has become a prime focus of development policy. They are, moreover, faced with a world in which the main determinants of competitiveness are changing rapidly. Competition has intensified due to rapidly falling transport and communication costs, and the performance of economies, industries and firms is constantly compared and bench-marked across nations. So are determinants of competitiveness. These and related issues are analysed in detail in this report. It describes the micro-foundations of competitiveness and enterprise, and translates the lessons to the national level.
Contents
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. What is ‘Competitiveness’?
3. Why Worry about Competitiveness?
4. What Determines Competitiveness?
Firm Level Competence
From Firm to National Competitiveness
5. Competitive Success in Asia: Indicators and Determinants
Export Performance and Structure
Level of Technology
The Role of MNCs
Indigenous Technological Activity
Human Resource Development
Conclusions on Competitive Performance and Capabilities
6. Policy Support for Competitiveness in Asia
Introduction
Trade Policies
Skill Development
SME Support
Export Promotion and Information
Capital Markets
Industrial Structure and FDI
Encouraging and Supporting Technological Effort
The Institutional Setting for Competitiveness Policy
7. Lessons for Competitiveness Policy
Introduction
Export Performance Analysis
Reforming the Incentive Framework
Improving Factor Markets
Gearing up for Competitiveness Strategy
Designing and Implementing Competitiveness Strategies
8. Postscript
References
Appendix Table 1: A Technology Index
Browse subjects
- Agriculture Expand or collapse me
- Democracy and elections Expand or collapse me
- Debt and finance policy
- Economic development Expand or collapse me
- Education, gender and health Expand or collapse me
- Law and human rights Expand or collapse me
- Oceans and natural resources Expand or collapse me
- Public administration and governance Expand or collapse me
- Small states Expand or collapse me
- Sport for development and peace
- Taxation
- Trade Expand or collapse me
- Youth policy
