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  • 17-November-2020

    English

    The impact of COVID-19 on SME financing - A special edition of the OECD Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs Scoreboard

    The COVID-19 crisis has had a profound impact on SME access to finance. In particular, the sudden drop in revenues created acute liquidity shortages, threatening the survival of many viable businesses. The report documents an increase in demand for bank lending in the first half of 2020, and a steady supply of credit thanks to government interventions. On the other hand, other sources of finance declined, in particular early-stage equity. This paper, a special edition of Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs, focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on SME access to finance, along with government policy responses. It reveals that the pre-crisis financing environment was broadly favourable for SMEs and entrepreneurs, who benefited from low interest rates, loose credit standards and an increasingly diverse offer of financing instruments. It documents the unprecedented scope and scale of the policy responses undertaken by governments world-wide, and details their key characteristics, and outlines the principal issues and policy challenges for the next phases of the pandemic, such as the over-indebtedness of SMEs and the need to continue to foster a diverse range of financing instruments for SMEs.

  • 8-July-2019

    English

    In-Depth Productivity Review of Belgium

    Belgium has a high level of productivity. However, growth of productivity has declined quite strongly over the past two decades, and more so than in other advanced economies. This is a worrying development, as fewer productivity gains mean less wage growth and a slowdown in improvements to pensions, health care and well-being. This In-Depth Productivity Review of Belgium assesses in detail the drivers of productivity and recommends a 7-Point Action Plan to reignite productivity growth in Belgium. Reviving productivity growth requires action in many areas cutting across governments and ministerial competences. Measures are needed to instil more dynamism in Belgium’s economy, both among businesses and in the labour market, and to make the public finances more growth-oriented. In addition to recommending detailed policy measures to revive productivity growth, the Review contains three analytical chapters that lay out the evidence base: Chapter 1 on economy-wide and sectoral trends in productivity; Chapter 2 on the role of firms for productivity, with a focus on the dispersion of performance among businesses; and Chapter 3 on the worker dimension of productivity, with a focus on the role of wage bargaining and skills.

  • 21-January-2019

    English

    OECD Skills Strategy Flanders - Assessment and Recommendations

    Better skills policies help build economic resilience, boost employment and reinforce social cohesion. The OECD Skills Strategy provides countries with a framework to analyse their skills strengths and challenges. Each OECD Skills Strategy diagnostic report reflects a set of skills challenges identified by broad stakeholder engagement and OECD comparative evidence while offering concrete examples of how other countries have tackled similar skills challenges.  These reports tackle questions such as: How can countries maximise their skills potential? How can they improve their performance in developing relevant skills, activating skills supply and using skills effectively? What is the benefit of a whole-of-government approach to skills? How can governments build stronger partnerships with employers, trade unions, teachers and students to deliver better skills outcomes? OECD Skills Strategy diagnostic reports provide new insights into these questions and help identify the core components of successful skills strategies.  This report is part of the OECD’s ongoing work on building effective national and local skills strategies.

  • 16-October-2017

    English

    General Assembly of the World Steel Association - Opening Remarks

    Thank you for inviting me to this distinguished event. You meet at a critical time for the steel business as there is a lot at stake for the months to come. Let me start with the big picture.

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  • 20-January-2017

    English

    Boosting Skills for Greener Jobs in Flanders, Belgium

    The Flemish economy is extremely diversified with a number of value-added industries and a highly skilled workforce. The shift to a green economy will however require specific knowledge, values and attitudes from the Flemish workforce. This report analyses the skills dimension of the transition to a green economy at the local level, with specific reference to emerging needs in the agro-food, construction and chemicals sectors. It also provides recommendations for the development of green skills and occupational profiles at the organisational level, while advising policy makers on the best method of assisting firms to transition to a green economy.

  • 5-December-2011

    English

    Intellectual Assets and Innovation: The SME Dimension

    This report examines the relationship between SMEs' management of intellectual assets, innovation and competitiveness.

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    • Clusters, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    • to be changed
    • The OECD Innovation Strategy

  • 30-May-2011

    English

    Demand-side Innovation Policies

    This book examines dynamics between demand and innovation and provides insights into the rationale and scope for public policies. Drawing on country experience and case studies, it illustrates good practices for designing, implementing and evaluating demand-side innovation policies.

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    • The OECD Innovation Strategy

  • 4-May-2011

    English

    OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services 2010, Volume II, Detailed Tables by Partner Country

    This OECD publication provides statistics on international trade in services by partner country for 28 OECD countries plus the European Union (EU27), the Euro area, and Hong Kong, China as well as definitions and methodological notes. The data concern trade between residents and non-residents of countries and are reported within the framework of the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services. This book includes summary tables of trade patterns listing the main trading partners for each country and by broad service category. Series are shown in US dollars and cover the period 2004-2008.

  • 15-December-2004

    English

    Developing Highly Skilled Workers: Human Capital Peer Reviews

    These peer reviews (of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden) present recommendations for policy actions in each country based on strengths and weaknesses observed in the policy approach to developing highly skilled workers to fulfil future industry requirements.

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