Looks at Russian government's push toward a knowledge-based economy, particularly in the manufacturing sector. Quantifies and benchmarks sector's relative strengths, identifying opportunities to increase Russian productivity and competitiveness. Examines underlying firm-level determinants of...

1. Water challenge : an institutional diagnosis -- 2. Understanding institutions : nature, performance, and change -- 3. Existing literature : approaches, attempts, and limitations -- 4. Evaluating institutional linkages : towards an alternative methodology -- 5. Analytical framework and...

The lending criteria applied by the IMF and the World Bank have been converging for some time. Considering also that since the floating of exchange rates in the early seventies the IMF seems to have lost in importance as a monetary institution, debate is growing on the question of whether the...

Although the main responsibility for carrying out economic reforms in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe lies with these countries themselves, the transformation of the Soviet-style economic system into a market economy must be made easier by support from abroad. In this the...

Industrial activity creates jobs, catalyzes investments and innovation, and raises standards of living in many countries. As climate change, and natural disasters intensify, so too does the risk environment for industry activity. More recently, a viral pandemic has threatened industries and...