Publications

This SME Competitiveness Outlook assesses the impact of conflict and fragility on business performance. It unveils a Fragility Exposure Index, and shows that fragility, as experienced by firms, can be reduced by 25% if they take actions to reinforce competitiveness. These include engaging with...

This year’s report focuses on regional trade, the most common form of trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Digitalization and the rise of the platform economy are rapidly changing the way in which firms do business. A strong business ecosystem is necessary to manage this change. This year’s SME Competitiveness Outlook tells how to build it.

This guide offers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) insights on negotiation and collaboration with lead firms in international value chains. It addresses topics such as compliance with standards and regulations, contractual relationships, production and performance management, types of...

This year’s report focuses on regional trade, the most common form of trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

African tech hubs play an important role in building fledgling entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping start-ups, but they struggle to earn revenue and become financially sustainable. This report, based on interviews with dozens of hubs across Africa, examines what hubs do, how they make an impact...

Digitalization and the rise of the platform economy are rapidly changing the way in which firms do business. A strong business ecosystem is necessary to manage this change. This year’s SME Competitiveness Outlook tells how to build it.

Digitalization and the rise of the platform economy are rapidly changing the way in which firms do business. A strong business ecosystem is necessary to manage this change. This year’s SME Competitiveness Outlook tells how to build it.

This report provides company-level information for investors on agribusiness, manufacturing and services. It includes performance-related data on themes like international certification, innovation capacity, ICT use and access to electricity and logistics services. Investors will find practical...

Good Practices in the Global Apparel Industry provides valuable insight on ways for small and medium-sized enterprises to move up the value chain and away from low-value contract manufacturing.

With health tourism on the rise, this study draws upon four Asian countries - India, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines – to offer insight into how developing countries can attract a greater share in this industry. The study is relevant for all countries exploring market opportunities in...

All of the LDCs export commercial services and nearly one quarter of LDCs are net exporters of services: while Tourism is usually the major explanatory factor, it is not the only one. LDC services exports are growing twice as fast as the world average and the LDC share in world services exports...