Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis
20 February 2017 12:30 pm CET
20 to 24 February 2017
Venue
Joint Vienna Institute (JVI), Mariahilfer Strasse 97, 1060 Vienna
Description
This one-week course addresses issues related to the various facets of competitiveness and indicators to measure it. Competitiveness is considered as a broad concept encompassing various levels of analysis at the country, industry and firm level. The competitiveness indicators considered range from simple productivity analysis at the firm and industry level to indicators measuring a country’s external competitiveness. The importance of inter-industry and global production linkages is highlighted and the relevance of framework conditions shaping a country’s performance, such as educational systems, institutions and innovation systems, are discussed. This also includes, for example, indicators of institutional competitiveness and monetary policies determining nominal and real exchange rates. Competitiveness rankings regularly published by various international institutions are reviewed.
The course shall enable participants to understand the relevance of competitiveness of countries, industries and firms and critically discuss and interpret various indicators related to competitiveness with respect to long-term growth potentials, patterns of specialization and short-term imbalances and aspects related to the current economic crisis. Participants gain further insights in the construction of these indicators and the underlying statistical material and computational requirements needed for quantifying them according to EU and international standards.
Hands-on exercises with real data and an overview of existing databases allow for an active involvement in the course. Participants are invited to provide short presentations on their countries’ competitiveness profile and conclude with policy implications.
Target group
Junior- to mid-level officials from central banks and government agencies from non-EU countries who are involved in the collection, compilation, and analysis of competitiveness indicators. Participants should have a degree in economics, statistics or equivalent experience. Proficiency in the use of spreadsheets and knowledge of statistical programs is welcome.
The course is conducted in English only.