Browse by: "W"

In the current era of globalisation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are recognised as major players in innovation and job creation. Furthermore, entrepreneurship is no longer a male preserve: although few women can be found at the head of large companies, an increasing number are taking up the challenge of creating and managing their own businesses.

This conference proceedings explores the phenomenon of women entrepreneurs in small and medium entreprises, examining such issues as governmental support, networks, doing business overseas, starting businesses, and financing.

Despite the fact that the freight transport market in Europe almost doubled in volume over the period 1970 to 1995, growth in the inland waterway sector has remained stagnant. Until now the waterways have primarily been used to transport goods produced by sectors that have been hard hit by industrial restructuring. However, the past does not necessarily hold the key to the future. Waterways can be readily incorporated into logistics chains in which regular supply streams and low transport costs are more important than speed. The transportation of hazardous materials and container transport also offer promising markets.

The Round Table identified a number of policy measures which could help to promote development in the inland waterways sector (discontinuation of scrapping policies, support for the grouping of enterprises and the creation of co-operatives, incentives for private-sector investment). Reading the proceedings of this Round Table offers an opportunity to look at the inland waterways in a wholly new light which shows that there is a genuine future for this mode provided that operators are prepared to become entrepreneurs.

There is broad political support for lifelong learning because it is so vital to sustained economic progress and social cohesion in the "new economy". But its implementation is potentially costly and depends on making the learning process more cost-effective and on securing financial and in-kind resources from the private sector.

What can be done to keep lifelong learning from becoming prohibitively expensive, and to ensure that there are strong and transparent incentives to invest in it ? This book looks at recent experience of selected OECD countries as they have articulated their goals and strategies for lifelong learning. It examines policies and practices that influence the rates of return to lifelong learning, and mechanisms that are being put in place to channel financial resources to lifelong learning. It identifies resource issues that need to be addressed if lifelong learning is to be an affordable and workable guide to public policy.

The 1990s have witnessed growing demand for learning throughout the world. Compelling incentives for individuals, economies and societies to raise education levels have driven increased participation in a widening range of learning activities by people of all ages, from the earliest years through later adulthood. Educational progress has, however, been uneven both across and within countries. This volume sheds light on the comparative performance of education systems, with an analysis that extends to the financial and human resources invested in education, how education and learning systems operate and evolve, and to the returns to educational investment. The data presented allow countries to see themselves in the light of other countries’ performance and to assess whether variations in educational experiences are unique or if they mirror differences observed elsewhere.

COUNTRIES COVERED Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Paraguay, the Philippines, Uruguay, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Zimbabwe and OECD countries.

This in-depth study of world energy markets demonstrates the extent to which energy is under-priced in some of the largest developing and transition countries. It also quantifies the benefits that could be achieved by getting energy prices right, including a reduction of wasteful energy consumption, greater economic growth and lower emissions of carbon dioxide.

Welchen Einfluss haben Wissenschaft, Technologie und Innovationen auf die Wirtschaft? Entwickeln sich die OECD-Länder zu wissenschaftsbasierten Volkswirtschaften, und wie lässt sich dies belegen? Nehmen die wissensbezogenen Investitionen zu? Können technologischer Wandel und Innovation Erklärungshilfen für unterschiedliche wirtschaftliche Wachstumsraten liefern?

Der vorliegende Bericht zieht eine Bilanz der wichtigsten neueren Entwicklungen im Bereich Wissenschaft, Technologie und Innovationen im OECD-Raum. Er schildert die großen Trends, gibt einen Überblick über die Politikentwicklung und arbeitet den Einfluss von Wissenschaft und Technologie auf das Wirtschaftswachstum der jüngsten Zeit heraus. In Sonderkapiteln werden die Verbindungen zwischen Innovationen und Wachstum, die Bedeutung von Innovationen im Dienstleistungssektor, die wachsende Interaktion zwischen Wissenschaft und Industrie, die Auswirkungen staatlicher Förderung auf die privaten FuE-Aktivitäten sowie die Rolle von Netzwerken im Innovationsprozess untersucht. Ein Anhang liefert detaillierte Indikatoren zu Wissenschaft, Technologie und Innovation.

In the former Soviet Union, extensive networks were constructed to supply urban populations with clean, safe water. However, the networks were not well designed and this resulted in low quality water services and high operation and maintenance costs. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the condition of water infrastructure deteriorated more dramatically following sharp decreases in public budgets and the continued tradition of providing water services virtually free of charge. Without urgent action, the quality of services will continue to worsen and, in some of the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union, may even collapse, with serious consequences for human health and economic activity.

This volume analyses the causes underlying this dire situation and presents recommendations for addressing it which were adopted at a meeting of Economic/Finance and Environment Ministers held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October 2000. The meeting was organized within the framework of the EAP Task Force, with its Secretariat at OECD, and involved key stakeholders from the governmental and non-governmental sectors. The EAP Task Force will implement a focused programme of work guided by the main recommendations agreed by participants.

What will schools look like in the future? What big trends are most influential in shaping education and how might these unfold in coming years? What policy questions need to be tackled today to open up desirable pathways into the future?

These ambitious questions are addressed in What Schools for the Future?, a publication produced by the OECD's Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI). Drawing on an extensive international body of statistical and research evidence, the book analyses the social, economic, and educational trends of the 21st century. It also presents six possible scenarios for school systems over the next 10-20 years. The analysis is completed by contributions from eight international experts, looking with different perspectives at the challenges facing schools today and tomorrow.

The recent surge in energy prices is drawing attention once again to the availability and security of energy resources and the prospects for both supply and prices. World Energy Outlook: 2001 Insights – a follow-up to the acclaimed World Energy Outlook 2000 – takes a detailed look at all these issues. It analyses the main factors driving energy production and distribution, including the cost of developing resources and bringing them to market, energy pricing and the impact of government policies.

The study’s central finding is that reserves of oil, gas, coal and uranium are more than adequate to meet projected demand growth at least until 2020. But massive investment in energy production and transportation infrastructure will be needed to exploit these reserves. The capability, and willingness, of Middle East oil producers to exploit their low-cost reserves is a major source of uncertainty. For gas, the cost of supply and the impact of technology will be critical. There is a huge potential for expanding the supply of renewable energies if strong government backing can achieve steep reductions in their cost. Beyond 2020, new technologies such as hydrogen-based fuel cells, clean coal burning and carbon sequestration hold out the prospect of abundant and clean energy supplies in a world largely free of climate-destabilising carbon emissions.

Facing the collapse of their business and stiff competition from road transport, Eastern European railways are in a critical financial situation. Railway restructuring is a must, but where circumstances in each country are so different there can be no “one size fits all” solution. Nevertheless, some guidelines for restructuring are emerging. The strategies to be implemented will involve both governments and the railway companies themselves.

Separating infrastructure from operations, for instance, could be a good model provided infrastructure usage is priced efficiently. Concessions should be granted for local and regional passenger services. Freight transport issues have to be addressed at a European level - and open access should be the fundamental rule along with encouraging new market entrants.

Privatising the railways is probably not a prerequisite; their independence, however, is essential. Their management should be exactly the same as that of any other commercial company on the market and they should have appropriate management tools. Railways should focus their investment on new technologies and automation, difficult problems with reducing overstaffing can be resolved only with government co-operation.

Based on a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the railways in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe and in the Commonwealth of Independent States, this Round Table comes to a series of inescapable conclusions for anyone wishing to address these issues.