Structural Transformation

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship between competitiveness and structural transformation. It first provides an overview of the similarities and complementarities that link the competitiveness approach with the new literature on structural transformation, along with the differences between them, before discussing the role of competitiveness in economic development. The focus is on competitiveness as defined by the productivity-based view, along with drivers of competitiveness, the goals and motivations for economic policy aimed at improving competitiveness, and the new structural economics that offers a novel set of recommendations for how economies can speed up the process of structural transformation. The chapter identifies an integrated view that captures both the role of competitiveness fundamentals and industrial composition in driving productivity and prosperity outcomes.