Upgrading to Compete: Global Value Chains, Clusters, and SMEs in Latin America

This book arose out of a study commissioned by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Division of the Inter-American Development Bank aimed at researching cases based on Latin American experiences with competitive cooperation among enterprises, whether brought about as a result of specific policies or spontaneously. The intention here is to make a contribution to conceptualizing the processes of improved competitiveness based on cooperation among enterprises and also to contribute to improving and renewing government. The book presents a collection of case studies illustrating the conditions that best serve to improve productivity in MSMEs. The case studies reflect the distribution of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean by economic sectors and involve clusters and value chains based on natural resources and traditional manufacturing. The book also analyzes cases in the new economy, such as software development in several regions of Mexico.