How can firms in developing countries better seize the opportunities created by globalisation, contribute to improving employment opportunities and reduce poverty? Can governments and their development partners effectively support these efforts? These are some of the questions this study tries to answer.

More specifically, it analyses how local firms can get involved in global value chains, access distant and more profitable markets and upgrade their capabilities. Based on case studies, the book focuses on selected industries and reviews experiences of governments and enterprises in the Mekong sub-region. It seeks to draw “bottom up” policy conclusions from firm- and industrylevel analyses in specific country settings about how best to support private sector development in developing countries.