Clusters of competitiveness

Why do some developing countries grow faster than others? One answer lies in competition, which encourages innovation to spur growth. Competition occurs at diverse levels within a country and among countries-firms, industries, regions, nations, and the global economy. The recent global financial crisis has sharpened the focus on the need for stronger innovation and competitiveness in a growth-challenged world. Countries that develop and implement policies to foster increasingly competitive environments will facilitate growth and improved standards of living for their citizens. Clusters of Competitiveness presents the concepts underlying competitiveness across its many dimensions and the price and nonprice measures of competitiveness. The primer also discusses experiences of - and lessons learned for - developing economies. Finally, the book focuses on clusters as a means of stimulating economic development at the local, regional, and global levels. As systems of interconnection between private and public sector entities, clusters play an important role in the modern economy and its search for competitiveness. This primer examines in detail the essential role that clusters play in guiding the formation of competition policies that promote growth.