The authors emphasize that an economy's competitiveness relies on purposive and intermeshed measures at the meta-, macro-, meso-, and micro- level and a multidimensional guidance concept consisting of competition, dialogue and shared decision-making which integrates the key groups of actors.

As developing countries have started to open up their economies, concern about competitiveness has spread to their policy makers. Their relative competitiveness as production and investment sites has become a prime focus of development policy. They are, moreover, faced with a world in which the main determinants of competitiveness are changing rapidly. Competition has intensified due to rapidly falling transport and communication costs, and the performance of economies, industries and firms is constantly compared and benchmarked across nations. So are determinants of competitiveness. These and related issues are analysed in detail in this report. It describes the microfoundations of competitiveness and enterprise, and translates the lessons to the national level.

This book describes the micro-foundations of competitiveness and enterprise, and translates the lessons to national level. It looks at the competitive performance in East Asia and highlights lessons to be learned by other developing countries.

This book therefore opens a fresh debate on the industrial policies which developing countries need to adopt in order to compete and grow in a globalised economic environment.

Technology and globalization are threatening manufacturing’s traditional ability to deliver both productivity and jobs at a large scale for unskilled workers. Concerns about widening inequality within and across countries are raising questions about whether interventions are needed and how effective they could be. Trouble in the Making? The Future of Manufacturing-Led Development addresses three questions: - How has the global manufacturing landscape changed and why does this matter for development opportunities? - How are emerging trends in technology and globalization likely to shape the feasibility and desirability of manufacturing-led development in the future? - If low wages are going to be less important in defining competitiveness, how can less industrialized countries make the most of new opportunities that shifting technologies and globalization patterns may bring? The book examines the impacts of new technologies (i.e., the Internet of Things, 3-D printing, and advanced robotics), rising international competition, and increased servicification on manufacturing productivity and employment. The aim is to inform policy choices for countries currently producing and for those seeking to enter new manufacturing markets. Increased polarization is a risk, but the book analyzes ways to go beyond focusing on potential disruptions to position workers, firms, and locations for new opportunities. www.worldbank.org/futureofmanufacturing