Industry and trade

Innovation to drive Viet Nam's fourth industrial revolution

By Dominic Mellor on Thursday, 01 June 2017

The country needs a more dynamic and innovative private sector, fueled by home-grown entrepreneurship.
Digital trade needs more coordination, leadership

By Alisa DiCaprio on Thursday, 04 May 2017

The progress of digitization in trade is being driven by the objective of cost reduction – not inclusion.
Why penalizing imports is a bad idea

By Jong Woo Kang on Monday, 10 April 2017

Short-term gains will not guarantee long-term benefits for an individual economy, nor shared prosperity from open trade.
Why poor countries should invest first in national trade infrastructure

By Marcelo Olarreaga on Thursday, 02 February 2017

There’s more to development that just economic growth from international trade.
Rural women in Tajikistan learn new skills, start earning for their families

By Tatiana Evstifeeva on Monday, 12 December 2016

An ADB-financed project is helping female entrepreneurs open sewing workshops, bakeries and cattle ranches, and other business ventures.
Globalization: Between walls and roads

By M. Joseph Mariasingham on Friday, 09 December 2016

In today’s multipolar world, creating barriers to trade will invariably result in reciprocity, so in the end all countries will be worse off.
Promoting caffeine-fueled economic growth in Timor-Leste

By Paolo Spantigati on Wednesday, 07 December 2016

Paolo Spantigati, ADB Country Director for Timor-Leste, hopes a coffee festival will be the first step in the country’s bid to diversify its economy.
Embracing a new life through a change in livelihood in Nepal

By Arjun B. Kumal on Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Thousands of poor Nepalis are benefiting from livelihoods skills training provided by an ADB-supported program.
Exercise equity market: A financing model to vitalize SMEs

By Shigehiro Shinozaki on Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Let's create a market mechanism that incubates 'smaller but growing' firms that will eventually tap the exchange market.
What did we learn from the US election on globalization, trade?

By Jong Woo Kang on Monday, 14 November 2016

One plausible reason for the shock result could be unequal distribution of benefits from globalization and free trade.
Unlocking business opportunities for SMEs through global value chains

By Shigehiro Shinozaki on Wednesday, 26 October 2016

SMEs should participate in global value chains to reverse the deceleration trend of labor productivity in Asia and the Pacific.
Going digital in the Pacific: Lessons from Samoa’s online firms

By Alisa DiCaprio, Michael Laps on Thursday, 29 September 2016

An analysis of the online presence of 300 Samoan websites offers a glimpse into how Pacific SMEs operate in the digital space.
10 ways to accelerate job creation in the Pacific

By Andrew Parker on Wednesday, 17 August 2016

New development opportunities offer Pacific island countries the chance to leverage their unique potential to help the private sector create enough decent, sustainable jobs.
Tackling the risk or ‘perceived risk’ of inclusive business investments

By Armin Bauer, Caroline Ashley on Wednesday, 29 June 2016

When risk mitigation processes are put in place, inclusive business deals are no more risky than other investments – it’s is just a different kind of risk.
Go back to basics to help ASEAN SMEs benefit from AEC

By Ganeshan Wignaraja on Monday, 27 June 2016

There is no single or simple solution to ensure SMEs benefit from regional integration schemes – ASEAN economies need to fix key productivity, regulatory, infrastructure, and financing gaps.
The unique role of development banks in inclusive business

By Caroline Ashley on Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Development finance institutions can support inclusive business, but mainly as brokers to build an enabling environment for companies that want to provide profitable, long-term solutions to serve the needs of the poor.
TPP and RCEP – friends not foes

By Ganeshan Wignaraja on Monday, 20 June 2016

TPP and RCEP are not perfect, but they can unlock Asian trade liberalization and growth. Supporting open accession, an eventual Asia-Pacific FTA and complementary national policies will help achieve this end.
New report highlights key trends for inclusive business in Asia

By Armin Bauer on Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Inclusive business can address problems of the poor at scale in a sustainable, commercially viable way. But this approach is still a small niche, and scaling it up will require all actors to ‘up their game.’
Rising tides of protectionism will cause more harm than good

By Jong Woo Kang, Mitzirose Legal on Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Beyond political rhetoric, the question is whether the current trend is indeed ominous of growing protectionism on the horizon.
Business in Kyrgyz Republic: Resilience amid adversity

By Ayun Sundari on Thursday, 28 April 2016

MSMEs in the country weathered the economic turbulence by taking active steps to adjust their businesses and look for new opportunities.

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