Title: The national competitiveness indexes: what are they measuring, what should they do?

Authors: Guilherme Amaral; Mario Sergio Salerno

Addresses: Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA), Observatory of Innovation and Competitiveness, University of São Paulo, Av. Professor Luciano Gualberto, 1380, 05508010 São Paulo – SP, Brazil ' Instituto de EstudosAvançados (IEA) and Production Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, Av. Professor Luciano Gualberto, 1380, 05508010 São Paulo – SP, Brazil

Abstract: National competitiveness often is a source of debates regarding its importance for strategic and policy analysis. Those who support the importance of this concept argue that it is based on concerns about the level and quality of jobs, quality of life, wages and revenues, technological development, among other topics regarded the dynamic of the economic development. The debate on the validity of the concept of competitiveness when applied to nations does not set off the development of a new set of metrics that would enable countries to assess the actors that induce competitiveness. To fill this gap, this article aims to present an alternative methodology for measuring national competitiveness. This methodology seeks to measure the drivers of competitiveness, which improve capabilities in a country. It is understood capabilities as the central element for developing countries seeking to foster the competitiveness of its economy.

Keywords: national competitiveness; economic development; evolutionary economic; technological capabilities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJC.2019.102866

International Journal of Competitiveness, 2019 Vol.1 No.4, pp.331 - 361

Accepted: 30 Mar 2019
Published online: 08 Oct 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article