Competitiveness Report of the European Commission

Since 1998 WIFO coordinates studies commissioned by the European Commission analysing the competitiveness of the European Union and its member countries in the context of a major framework contract. The Directorate General for Growth (previously DG Enterprise and Industry) of the European Commission has published an annual European Competitiveness Report between 1998 and 2014. In 2015 this publication has been discontinued and from 2015 onwards has been replaced by the European Internal Market and Competitiveness Report reflecting the merger of the Directorate General for the Internal Market and the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry. In the context of this framework contract WIFO and its partner institutes have produced background studies for these EC publications which have been and will be the major tangible output of this project.

The results of these studies next to the European Internal Market and Competitiveness Report form also other landmark publications of the European Commission such as the EU Industrial Structure Report or the Member State Competitiveness Report. They also provide crucial intelligence to the Council and the wider public about the state of competitiveness of industries in the EU economy. In addition, the findings are used to measure progress towards the Europe 2020 Strategy and the effects of structural reforms in EU member countries.

The research is carried out by a WIFO- led consortium of 20 specialised research institutes from 14 European countries. The current framework contract is in force for the years 2015 till 2018.

Published up to now

Studies on structural reforms in the EU member countries 2013-2018

Single Market and Competitiveness Report 2017/2018
Single Market and Competitiveness Report 2016/2017

Partners

AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology https://www.ait.ac.at/
BSI – The British Standards Institution https://www.bsigroup.com/de-AT/
CIREM – Center for International Research and Economic Modelling http://www.cepii.fr/cirem/en/presentation/cirem.htm
EBN – European Business and Innovation Center Network https://ebn.eu/
ECORYS – http://www.ecorys.com/
ESRI – Economic and Social Research Institute http://www.esri.ie/
KOF – Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich https://www.kof.ethz.ch/
ETLA – Research Institute of the Finnish Economy https://www.etla.fi/en/
FEEM – Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei https://www.feem.it/en/
IDEA – Idea Consult http://www.ideaconsult.be/
ifW – Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft https://www.ifw-kiel.de/
ivie – Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Economicas http://www.ivie.es/es_ES/
IWE – Institute of World Economics http://www.krtk.mta.hu/english/, http://www.vki.hu/eindex.shtml?setlang=english
NIESR – National Institute of Economic and Social Research https://www.niesr.ac.uk/
SPI – Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação http://www.spi.pt/
CWS – Center für Wirtschaftspolitische Studien https://www.cws.uni-hannover.de/center.html
SGH – World Economy Research Institute https://ssl-kolegia.sgh.waw.pl/en/KGS/structure/IGS-KGS/Pages/default.aspx
VTT – Technical Research Center of Finland http://www.vttresearch.com/
wiiw – Wiener Institut für internationale Wirtschaftsvergleiche https://wiiw.ac.at/
ZEW – Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung http://www.zew.de/
 

Details

WIFO, IVIE, NIESR, London
Total Factor Productivity Growth: Drivers, Components and Frontier Firms
Commissioned by: European Commission
Study by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research – Instituto Valenciano de Investigationes Económicas – National Institute of Economic and Social Research, London
Total factor productivity at the aggregate levels of economies or sectors of activity can be broken down to firm-specific TFP, where considerable heterogeneity between firms can be found. It is therefore necessary to consider the entire TFP distribution across firms to derive correct policy implications. An important aspect in this connection is the allocation of productive resources between firms: a free flow of resources from low-productivity to high-productivity firms is likely to shift the entire distribution of TFPs in a positive direction, while aggregate TFP will suffer if resources are stuck in an inefficient allocation. The study will therefore assess to what extent the reallocation of productive resources can be attributed within-firm effects or between-firm effects and whether this process has changed over time in different EU manufacturing and services industries. The study characterises the TFP distribution, for the EU as well as for member countries, in important manufacturing sectors such as machinery, transport equipment, food and beverages, and fabricated metal products, and studies the characteristics of "frontier firms" at EU level in these industries. It assesses the dynamics of TFP developments over time across EU countries.
Keywords:TP_Europa_Wettbewerb
Research group:Industrial, Innovation and International Economics
Language:English

Related issues

Completed research studies
Commissioned by: European Commission
Study by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research – Instituto Valenciano de Investigationes Económicas – National Institute of Economic and Social Research, London
Closed: 2016
Total factor productivity at the aggregate levels of economies or sectors of activity can be broken down to firm-specific TFP, where considerable heterogeneity between firms can be found. It is therefore necessary to consider the entire TFP distribution across firms to derive correct policy implications. An important aspect in this connection is the allocation of productive resources between firms: a free flow of resources from low-productivity to high-productivity firms is likely to shift the entire distribution of TFPs in a positive direction, while aggregate TFP will suffer if resources are stuck in an inefficient allocation. The study will therefore assess to what extent the reallocation of productive resources can be attributed within-firm effects or between-firm effects and whether this process has changed over time in different EU manufacturing and services industries. The study will characterise the TFP distribution, for the EU as well as for member countries, in important manufacturing sectors such as machinery, transport equipment, food and beverages, and fabricated metal products, and study the characteristics of "frontier firms" at EU level in these industries. It will assess the dynamics of TFP developments over time across EU countries.
Contact

Assoc. Prof. Michael Peneder

Research groups: Industrial, Innovation and International Economics