A European Commission-funded Sector Competitiveness Project is one of several implementation support projects of the Investment Compact for South East Europe, and examines the potential sources of and obstacles to competitiveness in the Western Balkans. The project analyses specific sectors with significant employment potential, such as:

• garment manufacturing
• automotive components
• information and communication technology

The Western Balkans Sector Competitiveness Project brings together policy experts from the region and the OECD to address sector specific competitiveness challenges and make specific recommendations for policy measures addressing these challenges.

The first phase of the project was completed in June 2009 with the publication of Sector Specific Sources of Competitiveness in the Western Balkans.

The second phase focuses on implementation of co-ordinated initiatives for each sector as part of a regional investment strategy. Specifically:

• in the garment sector: contribute to finding solutions to obtaining accessible and affordable finance
• in the automotive component sector: identify and help bridge the information gap between parts suppliers in the Western Balkans and original equipment manufacturers
• in the information and communication technology sector: develop initiatives to increase linkages between the education system and the private sector regarding business process and technology outsourcing

Meetings

Automotive Industry Conference: Sources of Competitiveness and Investment Opportunities, 17 June 2010

4th meeting of the Human Capital Working Group, 9 June 2010

Conference on access to finance, 8 June 2010

Regional Competitiveness Initiative experts’ workshop, 2-3 June 2010

Improving skills for the ICT sector, 17 September 2009

Developing and promoting the automotive industry, 19 June 2009

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