This paper investigates the current state of creation and adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies within the Czech Republic. I4.0 technologies, which include technologies such as big data analytics, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and advanced robotics, hold great promise for...

This report aims to deepen the understanding of barriers to and incentives for the acceptance and use of electronic payments, from the perspective of micro, small and medium retailers (merchants). Developing and accelerating acceptance of electronic payments by these merchants is essential to...

As in most economies, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging markets are widely believed to be the engine of growth across. Over the last decade, many researchers and academics have tried to analyze the issue of MSME access to finance, emphasizing their dependence on credit and...

This report provides an overview of the demand and supply side of MSME finance as well as certain aspects of the enabling environment. A detailed analysis of the financial sector infrastructure for MSME financing and the secured transactions framework was outside of the scope of this report but...

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are an important instrument of growth for India's economy. The contribution of the MSME sector to India's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to be around 8 to 9 percent in 2012 after agriculture; MSMEs have emerged as the second largest source...

Recent studies have suggested that women's business decisions are influenced by members of their household, especially their spouse, and that these intrahousehold dynamics contribute to gender gaps in entrepreneurship outcomes. This in-depth qualitative study among microentrepreneurs in urban...

This note draws from an emerging literature on firm informality as well as data collected on micro enterprises and informal firms as part of the World Bank's enterprise survey initiative for Kenya. The purpose of the note is to assess the main constraints facing informal firms, identify patterns...

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group discusses conflicts that have caused a devastating amount of violence and destruction, severely affecting the livelihoods of millions of people, and creating destabilizing effects at the global level. He talks about the World Bank Group's new...

The importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to economic development and job creation is increasingly recognized across the world. With an expected 58 percent of gross value added in 2012, SMEs are perceived to be the backbone of the economy especially within the European Union (EU)....

This report gives an overview of the key results from the analysis of the data collected in a survey conducted in October and November 2012 by the Austrian Institute for small and medium enterprise (SME) research on behalf of the World Bank center for financial reporting reform (CFRR). The...