This overview discusses some key findings of the papers presented at the conference and draws some policy conclusions from them in the context of the broader literature. The papers and the wider academic discussion are sorted into three areas. First, how do the economics of infrastructure...

In the wake of the crisis, the capacity of many banks to lend to relatively high-risk sectors such as SMEs and young, innovative firms is seriously impaired by capital constraints and a strong deterioration in the quality of the assets on their balance sheets. Looking forward, it is vital that...

This study was prepared for the European Investment Bank (EIB). The objective of the study is to assess the financing needs of SMEs in Russia and identify the market failures. In addition to senior debt, which is the main instrument currently available to the EIB in Russia, the study also...