Reports

Evaluation is the foundation of evidence-based policy. Yet there is a dearth of reliable impact evaluation in the area of SME and entrepreneurship policy. This publication issues OECD guidance on how governments can promote reliable SME and entrepreneurship policy evaluation. It emphasises practices including using control groups, setting clear policy objectives and targets and accounting for business survival and non-survival. It shows that reliable evaluation of SME and entrepreneurship policy is increasingly accessible given improvements in data and techniques in recent years and illustrates this with examples of 50 reliable evaluations across many SME and entrepreneurship policy areas and 28 OECD countries. Overall, the publication issues a call for more systematic and reliable evaluation of SME and entrepreneurship policies following the guidance offered. The publication also examines the findings of reliable evaluations internationally, including meta evaluations. The evidence is mixed but generally more robust and consistent for policies to improve access to finance than in the provision of training and advisory services. Some policies have positive impacts on key measures whereas others do not. The reasons are explored, including variations in the targeting of policies and in policy delivery approaches.

The paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the strengths and limitations of the intellectual property (IP) system in Poland. It offers policy recommendations to fully exploit the potential of IP to support an innovation-based economy. It finds that the key components of an effective IP strategy in Poland should include the promotion of IP use among economic actors and other stakeholders as well as information campaigns and training programmes to raise awareness and knowledge about the advantages of IP. Recommendations also include reducing barriers to IP use by lowering the costs of and simplifying IP-related procedures, and promoting the valorisation of IP held by universities to enhance technology transfer to the business sector.

This paper uses information collected and provided by GlassAI to analyse the characteristics and activities of companies and universities in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States that mention keywords related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their websites. The analysis finds that those companies tend to be young and small, mainly operate in the information and communication sector, have AI at the core of their business, and aim to provide customer solutions. It is noteworthy that the types of AI-related activities reported by them vary across sectors. Additionally, although universities are concentrated in and around large cities, this is not necessarily reflected in the intensity of AI-related activities. Taken together, this novel and timely evidence informs the debate on the most recent stages of digital transformation of the economy.

This policy brief on 'Improving the effectiveness of inclusive and social entrepreneurship training schemes' was produced by the OECD and the European Commission. It discusses the importance of training schemes and presents an overview of the types of training schemes available. It also analyses the opportunities for governments to strengthen these training schemes and provides guidance on how to design more effective inclusive and social entrepreneurship training schemes.

Illicit trade in counterfeit goods causes economic damage by reducing sales and profits as well as innovation incentives in legitimate industries. This study looks at damages caused by illicit trade in counterfeits to small and medium-sized enterprises. The robust evidence on the magnitude, scope and trends of this risk informs policy makers about the need to include anti-counterfeiting elements in policy packages designed to support SMEs.

Sweden is undergoing a major reform of its public employment service Arbetsförmedlingen towards contracting out employment services to independent providers. At the same time, Arbetsförmedlingen is also undergoing a significant restructuring, resulting in a downscaling of physical presence across the country and an increased digitalisation of services. As this report shows, the social economy and in particular work integration social enterprises can play an important role in the delivery of publicly-financed employment services. The report analyses the main features of the social economy in general as well as its current role in employment policies in Sweden. Moreover, it discusses challenges in engaging social economy organisations as providers in the market for contracted-out employment services in Sweden with respect to the legal framework, contracting rules, financial barriers, payment models, and co-operation structures. Lastly, it offers recommendations based on international practice to help design and implement the proposed policy recommendations in the Swedish context.

Cultural and creative sectors are a significant driver of local development through job creation and income generation, spurring innovation across the economy and increasing the attractiveness of cities and regions as destinations to visit, work and live. This case study offers a review of cultural and creative sectors in Lithuania, highlighting issues and trends in employment and business development, financing and cultural participation. It brings a specific focus on three municipalities within the County of Klaipėda located on the Baltic coast – Klaipėda City, Neringa and Palanga – small cities specialised in port activities, logistics, traditional manufacturing and seaside resort tourism. It highlights how culture and creative sectors can be leveraged to foster local development, diversify the economy and strengthen territorial attractiveness. It provides recommendations and international examples on ways to support business development in creative sectors and to strengthen synergies between culture and tourism.

Mass lay-offs from firms and plant restructuring occur regularly and can have potentially large consequences on places and communities. Policy makers may consider supporting firms, in order to prevent mass lay-offs but at the risk of interfering with economic dynamism, or targeting affected workers, to help them transition to new employment. Which strategy (firms versus workers) is the most appropriate and under which circumstances can be informed by better understanding the nature of the economic impact from mass lay-offs. This paper estimates the impact of mass lay-offs between 2008-18 across small regions (TL3) in Europe on regional employment and productivity. It finds there are persistent negative employment effects of mass lay-offs, and rural regions are more negatively affected on average. In part because of differences in the nature of the firm in the region, its relationship with nearby suppliers and clients, and the broader economic context of the region, productivity effects can be both positive and negative over the longer term.

Labour markets across the Netherlands recovered quickly from the COVID-19 shock and Dutch cities are now facing an unprecedented level of labour market tightness. The high demand for workers presents a unique opportunity for Dutch municipalities to find pathways into employment for those with the lowest labour market attachment and alleviate the pressure faced by local employers that struggle to find suitable workers. Supporting the diverse population in Dutch cities in finding their way into the labour market requires the efficient use of existing labour market instruments, advancing innovative methods of skills-based job matching and improving the cooperation between national, regional and local labour market institutions. This OECD report analyses current and future bottlenecks that could hamper the effective provision of local labour market services. It highlights policy options for strengthening the capacity of municipalities to support different population groups in making the transition from social welfare recipients to workers.