This paper uses a randomized controlled experiment in Costa Rica to determine whether IB use by Banco Nacional de Desarrollo`s micro and small enterprise (MSE) clients has an impact on their performance, measured in terms of productivity, increase in sales, and cost reduction. Results from the...

The main finding of this impact evaluation is that beneficiary firms of FONTAR as a whole and of ANR in particular, spend more on innovation activities such as research and development and purchase of technology. Increments in innovation expenditures are found even when the amount received by...

This paper estimates the impact of two productive development programs (PDPs) in Costa Rica: PROPYME and CR Provee. The first seeks to increase the capacity of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) to innovate, and the second aims to increase backward linkages between Costa Rican SMEs and...

Este relatório tem por objetivo analisar a correlação existente entre a quantidade e qualidade da infraestrutura do Brasil versus seu desenvolvimento econômico, tendo como um de seus sustentáculos a penetração da Banda Larga nos 5.565 municípios do Brasil e, principalmente, nos...

Este trabalho investiga a efetividade de instrumentos tributários de incentivos à pesquisa, desenvolvimento e inovação utilizados no Brasil desde o início dos anos de 1990. Particularmente, são analisados dois instrumentos distintos. A Lei de Informática cuja primeira edição foi feita...

This paper aims at evaluating the impacts of innovation promotion programs administrated by the Colombian Innovation Agency (COLCIENCIAS). Although the agency implements multiple programs, the focus of these research are on those programs that provide financial incentives for R&D (matching...

El objetivo de este documento es presentar la situación de la banda ancha en Chile, además de servir como punto de partida para el inicio de un debate que sirva para la identificación de oportunidades para promover el desarrollo social y económico de las personas mediante la expansión de la...

This paper studies the degree to which innovation by Costa Rican manufacturing firms creates or displaces employment, how different innovation strategies affect employment, and how these effects vary by firm size and type of employment demand characteristics (skills and gender). In particular...