Reports

SMEs and entrepreneurs make an important contribution to the Canadian economy. SMEs account for 60% of total employment, and Canada performs very well across many measures of small business generation, growth and innovation. However, further increases in productivity in medium-sized firms, an increase in SME exports, a greater business start-up rate and an increased number of high-growth firms could bring substantial benefits for the national economy.
This report identifies several areas where new policy approaches could help achieve these objectives. Framework conditions for small business could be improved in business taxation, public procurement, access to financing and the commercialisation of research. New and extended programmes could be introduced in domains including entrepreneurship education, management advice and consultancy, and workforce skills development, notably for minority populations. A major effort is recommended to prioritise women's entrepreneurship, including by supporting social enterprises, and federal support could be offered to support the exchange of information on best practice SME regulations and programmes among provinces and territories. All this could be brought together and co-ordinated through the umbrella of a national strategy and lead agency for SME and entrepreneurship policy.
 

This report presents evidence-based analysis on Ireland’s higher education transformation process towards an innovative, interconnected and multidisciplinary entrepreneurial system, designed to empower its students and staff to demonstrate enterprise, innovation and creativity in teaching, research and societal engagement. Using the OECD-European Commission HEInnovate guidance for the entrepreneurial and innovative higher education institution, the report assesses strategies and practices for entrepreneurship and innovation in Ireland’s higher education institution and the systemic support provided by government.

Higher education institutions play a critical role in Ireland’s economy and innovation system, which is based on a strong and growing engagement agenda with industry and local communities, the emergence of new learning environments and strong multidisciplinary research teams. This report offers practical recommendations on how Ireland can enhance and sustain the outcomes.

Kazakhstan is aware of the importance of innovation for its socio-economic development, including the diversification of its resource-based economy. Since the start of the millennium, Kazakhstan has put in place key components of a modern research and innovation system. This has helped  improve scientific output and resulted in some successes in technology commercialisation. Further commitment and effort will be needed to strengthen innovation capabilities and make the most of Kazakhstan‘s advantages. This requires further reforms in order, notably, to strengthen the funding model of universities, intensify and broaden knowledge transfer, improve the governance of the research and innovation system, and increase the effectiveness of innovation incentives and policies, with a focus on implementation and evaluation.

Les Principes de gouvernance d’entreprise du G20 et de l’OCDE aident les responsables publics à évaluer et à améliorer le cadre juridique, réglementaire et institutionnel de gouvernance des entreprises, en vue de promouvoir l’efficience économique, la croissance durable et la stabilité financière. Ils constituent l’une des normes essentielles pour la solidité des systèmes financiers adoptées par le Forum de stabilité financière.

La Méthodologie d’évaluation de la mise en œuvre des Principes de gouvernance d’entreprise du G20 et de l’OCDE a été élaborée par le Comité sur la gouvernance d’entreprise de l’OCDE, avec la participation de la Banque mondiale, dans le but d’étayer l’évaluation de la mise en œuvre des Principes dans une juridiction et de fournir un cadre pour des discussions sur l’action à mener, par exemple dans le contexte des Rapports sur l’observation des normes et codes (RONC) ou d’autres évaluations de pays. Cette dernière version intègre les modifications apportées aux Principes au cours de leur révision de 2015, ainsi qu’un certain nombre de précisions supplémentaires.
 

This joint OECD-ILO publication provides guidance on how local and regional governments can foster business-education partnerships in apprenticeship programmes and other types of work-based learning, drawing on case studies across nine countries. There has been increasing interest in apprenticeships which combine on the job training with classroom-based study, providing a smooth transition from school to work. There are benefits to both individuals and employers from participating in apprenticeships, including increased productivity and job quality. Successful implementation is contingent on having a high level of employer engagement at the local level, notably in the design, development and delivery of programmes.

Avec derrière eux deux décennies de croissance soutenue du revenu disponible des ménages et, plus généralement, de leur niveau de vie, les Canadiens jouissent d’un bien-être enviable. Le PIB par habitant est plus élevé que la moyenne OCDE et le Canada se classe parmi les premiers pays membres de l’Organisation pour ce qui est des compétences des élèves. Ses habitants profitent d’un environnement plus préservé que la moyenne de l’OCDE et vivent par ailleurs en meilleure santé. Cela n’empêche pas que des disparités persistent – en effet toutes les catégories de population n’ont pas profité dans la même mesure de l’amélioration des conditions de vie par le passé. Le niveau des inégalités de revenu est proche de la moyenne OCDE et globalement stable depuis une quinzaine d’années, mais le système de prélèvements et prestations assure une redistribution moindre que ceux de la plupart des autres pays membres de l’Organisation. Parallèlement à cela, la croissance de la productivité marque le pas, réduisant d’autant la marge de progression du niveau de vie. Le défi transversal que constituent la persistance d’inégalités multidimensionnelles et la faible croissance de la productivité souligne la nécessité de revoir la fonction d’élaboration des politiques au Canada dans le but de favoriser une croissance plus vigoureuse et plus inclusive. À cet égard, on ne peut que se féliciter de la volonté affichée par le gouvernement de renforcer la classe moyenne et d’offrir à tous ceux qui travaillent dur la possibilité d’y accéder.

Following a remarkable transformation in the past century in research and innovation, in particular through the development of new technologies and processes in sectors such as oil and gas, shipbuilding and also fisheries and aquaculture, Norway is today increasingly facing a “triple transition imperative” in which it needs, first, to shift toward a more diversified and robust economy; second, to move to a more competitive, effective and efficient innovation system; and third, to support research and innovation activities that can confront an array of societal challenges (climate change, food security, aging, health and so on). The Long-Term Plan for Research and Higher Education 2015-2024 (LTP) launched by the Norwegian government has set the base to enhance the capacity of the research and higher education system to cope with these transition challenges. This report proposes recommendations to take advantage of the revision of this comprehensive strategic plan in 2018 to improve the horizontal coordination and add more concrete structural policy initiatives, without changing the plan’s general orientation nor giving up the sectorial and the consensus principles that form the basis of Norwegian policy making.

This review, which was prepared in response to Kazakhstan's 2012 request to adhere to the Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises (OECD Declaration), analyses the general framework for investment as well as most recent reforms, and shows where further efforts are necessary. It assesses Kazakhstan’s ability to comply with the principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination and its policy convergence with the OECD Declaration, including responsible business conduct practices. Capitalising on the OECD Policy Framework for Investment, this review studies other policy areas that are of key relevance to investment such as SME policy, infrastructure development, trade policy as well as anti-corruption efforts. Since the first review of Kazakhstan, in 2012, the authorities have made strides in opening the country to international investment and in improving the policy framework for investment as part of their efforts to diversify the economy to avoid continued overreliance on oil. Additional policy measures are nevertheless required to create a stimulating environment for investment if the government wants to fulfil its goal of economic diversification and sustainable development.