This paper presents the evaluation of the Enterprise Restructuring Support Program in Argentina. The aim of the program was to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises by cofinancing technical assistance that can be classified as either support for process innovation or...

This study examines the impact of innovation strategies on employment growth in four Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay) using micro-data for manufacturing firms from innovation surveys. Building on the model proposed by Harrison et al. (2008), we relate...

This paper addresses two research questions: How do learning mechanisms operate in different types of global value chains? What is the supporting role of the innovation system in GVC-driven learning and innovation processes? Empirical evidence is used from the authors' research as well as...

Credit supplied by the banking sector is the most important funding source for firms and households in Latin America and the Caribbean. Unfortunately, credit is scarce, costly and volatile. Without deep and stable credit markets, the region will be hard pressed to achieve high and sustainable...

Over the last 20 years, Mexico redefined the role of the state in its economy through an ambitious program to liberalize trade, promote efficiency and reduce the size and scope of the state-owned sector. In Mexico, privatization led to a significant improvement in firm performance, as...

The objective of this paper is twofold. On one hand, we undertake an analysis of the recent evolution of capital markets and their effect on the availability of external financing in Mexico in the last two decades. On the other hand, based on a newly assembled firm-level data set on corporate...

This study focuses on how Latin America¿s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can participate in global markets in a way that provides for sustainable growth. In addition, it study analyzes the impact of collective efficiency on clusters upgrading and undertakes an investigation of the...

National and local governments, international organizations and donors are increasingly using the instrument of cluster development programs (CDP) to promote economic development. This paper builds on the recent experiences of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in financing and executing...

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are on the verge of a paradigm shift. Just a few short years ago, the region's name was blemished by its associations with "the debt crisis," "volatility," and "fiscal adjustment." Yet, in the present day, many of the region's countries have...

This presentation was commissioned by the Natural Disaster Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue for the V Hemispheric Meeting celebrated on June 13th and 14th, 2005. Institutional, Legal And Public Policy And Planning Aspects Of Disaster Risk Management.