Competitiveness, Growth and Crisis
26 February 2018 12:30 pm CET
26 February to 2 March 2018
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 viewed as a broad concept encompassing various levels of analysis at the country, industry and firm levels. The competitiveness indicators considered range from simple productivity indicators at the firm and industry levels to ones 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, is discussed. Framework conditions include, 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, as well as 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 profiles and to derive 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 are welcome.
The course is conducted in English only.