An assessment of supply chain and innovation management practices in the manufacturing industries in Turkey

This paper aims at assessing the supply chain and innovation management in the manufacturing industries in Turkey on an empirical basis. The assessments presented are based on parts of the data and information collected through the execution of the Competitive Strategies and Best Practices Benchmarking Questionnaire in 82 companies from four sectors of the manufacturing industries in Turkey. Results of these sectoral benchmarking studies reported elsewhere indicate the need of adopting product differentiation particularly through more knowledge intensive products as the dominant competitive strategy and also the need for improvement in various areas of supply chain as well as innovation management. In this paper, these issues are analysed through the survey results and some conclusions are drawn. Several policy measures applicable in near future are suggested for improving the areas found in need of improvement

The data chase : what's out there on trade costs and nontariff barriers ?

Trade costs and nontariff barriers are at the forefront of discussions on competitiveness and expanding trade opportunities for developing countries. This paper provides a summary overview of data and indicators relevant to these issues and has been informed by work underway at the World Bank on trade facilitation over the past several years to catalogue data sets and indicators. Although there has been progress in expanding data sets and developing policy-relevant indicators on trade costs and barriers, much more is needed. In order to assess progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, evaluating the impact of development projects, and whether meeting Aid for Trade goals will be met, for example, a dedicated and expansive new effort to collect and assess data is needed. This paper attempts to highlight gaps in data on trade costs and provides insight into the type of new data that might be developed in the future.Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Economic Theory&Research,Trade Law,Free Trade,Trade Policy

Regulating privatized infrastructures and airport services

For a World Bank Institute course on transport privatization, the authors cover basic issues associated with the regulation of privatized airport infrastructure and services: 1) Economic characteristics of airport. Three types of activities are carried out in airports: essential operational services (aeronautical and non-aeronautical), handling services (aeronautical and non-aeronautical), and commercial activities. Demand for basic airport services is directly influenced by trip purpose. The two types of airline customers (business and leisure travelers) need different levels of flexibility and tend to travel at different times. Analyzing airport capacity (practical and saturation) under peak demand is essential to airport success. Among other important issues: runway cost, level and volume of service, pollution, congestion, and air traffic control. 2) Recent trends in the airport industry. The movement toward privatization may involve public ownership and private operation, including joint ventures; partial or majority divestiture; management contracts; and BOT (build-operate-transfer) schemes and variants, including BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer) schemes and LDO (lease-develop-operate) schemes. Or it may involve private ownership and operation. 3) Price regulation. Topics covered include traditional pricing policies'price regulation through an RPI-X formula; charges for congestion, noise, and other externalities; investment plans; and design of the regulatory system. 4) Regulation of quality in the industry. Topics covered: regulation of services to passengers (as measured by targets for check-in queues, immigration queues, baggage reclaim queues, concourse crowding, shopping, parking, and so on); fault repair times; average levels of passenger boarding and disembarkation and baggage delivery; safety; and investment obligation. 5) Performance indicators in the industry. Topics covered: strategic indicators and other financial indicators (including revenues), as well as indicators of cost, productivity, and quality of service.Transport and Trade Logistics,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Decentralization,Roads&Highways,Airports and Air Services,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform,Transport and Trade Logistics

Information techniques for irrigation systems: Selected proceedings of the Second International Network Meeting on Information Techniques for Irrigation Systems held in Lahore/Bahawalnagar, Pakistan, 5-8 December 1994

Irrigation management / Irrigation systems / Decision support tools / Decision making / Information systems / Computer techniques / Models / Water management / Malaysia / Pakistan / Sri Lanka

Building a National IoT Plan: Policy Recommendations and the Case of Brazil

The Internet of Things (“IoT”) is an expression that refers to a whole set of new services and devices that includes at least three fundamental aspects: connectivity, use of sensors or actuators, and computational capacity for data processing and storage. The Internet of Things goes beyond connecting objects to each other; it also gives them the power to process data (thereby making them "smart"). For developing countries such as Brazil, the opportunities offered by the Internet of Things can compensate for shortcomings in infrastructure and services, and can improve innovation, quality of life, productivity, and even the economic complexity of our basket of export products. However, the way in which each country will seize this opportunity will depend on its specific aspirations and strategies. The broader economic, social, political, and legal context of the country should be considered, as well as the local development of information and communication technologies. For this reason, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), in partnership with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), has commissioned this study, "Internet of Things: An Action Plan for Brazil." This study, mapped by a consortium comprised by McKinsey & Company, the CPqD Foundation, and Pereira Neto | Macedo Law Firm, outlines the local technological and economic challenges related to the topic, as well as well as how to address legal issues inherent to the development of IoT in Brazil