Social capital, local institutions, and cooperation between firms

There are many different reasons behind cooperation between firms and many possible interpretations are assumed to be based on an assessment of endogenous benefits of collective action directly generated by taking part in a joint project. This paper attempts at verifying the interpretative capacity of models analysing the cooperation between firms using not only technological or organisational factors and rivalry between firms, but also some proxy variables of social capital, of experience accumulation in collective action and of institutional capacity for initiative. The specific aim of our work is hence that of providing an interpretation of Italian inter-province differentials in the propensity of inter-firm cooperation.35

Impact of regional technology policy on local economic development

During the last few years, there has been a wide competition among less favoured regions to attract additional productive capacity. The aim of these policies was to compensate the losses in employment in traditionnal sectors by attracting foreign owned branch plants. However the effectiveness of these policies has been rather limited. Branch plant cannot be considered as autonomous production units. They tend to have a technological strategy defined by their parent firm. Most of the time, this signifies the absence of in-house R&D and limited contacts with local markets. It is likely that this situation prevents the transfer of technology into the local economy. Moreover firms with headquarters located overseas may also disinvest from their host country and move to another region to benefit from other financial assistances. In recent years, new initiatives emerged. Policy makers are trying to build local business networks instead of attracting existing plants. One of the aim of this research paper is to explain the issue facing public authorities which sponsorize these initiatives. We will draw upon case studies made of projects which were coordinated by an association located in Bourges (city located in the Centre of France). The program has been launched in 1996 to alleviate the problems of transition from military to civil industries. The goals of the association are threefold : - For many years firms activities have been dedicated to military related markets. To avoid the closures of their establishments, locally based companies that have been dependent on stable and protective military contracts, need to find new markets. The first aim of the association is to identify these new potential markets. - The second is to foster local inter-firm collaboration. - The third is to establish an information center. We will try to identify barriers to collaboration and reasons which explain firms interest in local networks (Some of the firms which have joined the programme are affiliated companies). Before this empirical study, we will describe the notion of networks and discuss their role in innovation.

An Architecture for Information Commerce Systems

The increasing use of the Internet in business and commerce has created a number of new business opportunities and the need for supporting models and platforms. One of these opportunities is information commerce (i-commerce), a special case of ecommerce focused on the purchase and sale of information as a commodity. In this paper we present an architecture for i-commerce systems using OPELIX (Open Personalized Electronic Information Commerce System) [11] as an example. OPELIX provides an open information commerce platform that enables enterprises to produce, sell, deliver, and manage information products and related services over the Internet. We focus on the notion of information marketplace, a virtual location that enables i-commerce, describe the business and domain model for an information marketplace, and discuss the role of intermediaries in this environment. The domain model is used as the basis for the software architecture of the OPELIX system. We discuss the characteristics of the OPELIX architecture and compare our approach to related work in the field

U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework; A Guide to Self-Certification

[Excerpt] In this guide, we have provided an outline of the most critical pieces of the Safe Harbor Framework. The application is made available, along with a Helpful Hints Guide that explains how to fill it out. The Safe Harbor Principles and FAQs are also provided for easy reference. There is also an explanation and listing of third party dispute resolution providers (or Independent Resource Mechanisms) with descriptions of the services provided by three dispute resolution providers that work with Safe Harbor. Finally, we’ve also included several sample company privacy policies for reference, and a glossary that explains key terms. We’ve broken this Guide into nine major sections, each to address different questions you might have. What follows is a brief description of each section: Overview: The overview gives some background on the Safe Harbor Framework, how it came about, and explains many of the certification requirements. The overview also lists the principles of the Safe Harbor program. Application: The Application is provided for easy reference. Applicants should apply online at http://export.gov /safeharbor (click on “Certification Form” in the right sidebar). Certification Mark: The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration has recently developed a certification mark for the Safe Harbor Framework. The mark may be used by companies on their websites to signify that they have self-certified compliance with the provisions of the Safe Harbor Framework. Instructions for use of the certification mark are provided. Helpful Hints Guide (to Certification): The Helpful Hints Guide is meant to give quick answers to any questions a U.S. company might have about the certification process. It should be used in conjunction with the rest of the Guide, however it answers many of the most common questions about the certification process. Safe Harbor Principles: We have provided the full text of the official declaration of the Safe Harbor Principles as announced on July 21, 2000. This text is helpful for understanding the foundation of the Safe Harbor Principles and the Framework. Frequently Asked Questions: We have provided the Frequently Asked Questions in full text because they answer many of the most commonly asked questions about the Safe Harbor Framework. Dispute Resolution Providers: Here we have provided a short description of the role of dispute resolution providers (also referred to as Independent Recourse Mechanisms) and descriptions of the services they offer. Sample Privacy Policies: Here we have provided three sample privacy policies for reference, which may serve as guidance when creating a new Privacy Policy or updating an existing Privacy Policy to align it with the Safe Harbor Framework. The Safe Harbor Framework requires an affirmative commitment in the Privacy Policy to the principles of the Safe Harbor Framework. Glossary: A short glossary is also provided for many of the technical terms frequently used in the Guide

Rethinking International Subsidy Rules. Bertelsmann Working Paper 28/02/2020

Geo-economic tensions and global collective action problems call for international cooperation to revise and de-velop rules to guide both the use of domestic subsidies and responses by governments to cross-border competition spillover effects. Current WTO rules that divide all subsidies into either prohibited or actionable cate-gories are no longer fit for purpose. Piecemeal efforts in preferential trade agreements and bi- or trilateral configurations offer a basis on which to build, but are too narrow in scope and focus. Addressing the spillover ef-fects of subsidies could start with launching a work program at the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO to mobilize an epistemic community concerned with subsidy policies, tasked with building a more solid evidence base on the magnitude, purpose and effects of subsidy policies

Regulation and the New Economy

The fundamental theorem of welfare economics asserts that under conditions of perfect competition Pareto efficiency will obtain. This has provided the conceptual basis for the market failure approach to regulation, which focuses on failure to satisfy the conditions for perfect competition as potentially justifying government intervention in markets. The approach is evaluated in the context of a number of key characteristics of the industries of the New Economy. Three areas of regulatory focus are examined: policy approaches relating to competition, intellectual property, and information privacy. It is apparent that the applicability of the market failure approach is open to question, particularly in regard to competition policy. The exploitation by dominant market players of what may be termed "natural" barriers to entry resulting from some of the characteristic features of the New Economy (scale and scope economies, network effects and consumer lock-in) should be judged in the light of Schumpeterian competition rather than that of neoclassical perfect competition. The difficulty facing regulatory authorities is how to differentiate between situations requiring intervention and those that do not. The discussion of intellectual property highlights the fact that, in general, government intervention is not necessarily the only or even the best solution to instances of market failure. Finally, the case of information privacy illustrates how the spillover effects of regulatory actions in one jurisdiction can impact on other jurisdictions and necessitate coordination in a globalised economy. The need for countries to cooperate and coordinate their policies is perhaps the key conclusion of the analysis.New Economy, regulation, government intervention

Competition Clauses in Bilateral Trade Treaties - Analysing the Issues in the Context of India’s Future Negotiating Strategy

There is a recent trend towards trade agreements that include trade related competition provisions. However there are large differences across these trade agreements in terms of how the competition provisions are addressed. In this context, this research report tries to analyze the competition provisions in few selected FTAs and draw lessons for India, which is also following the path of entering into trade agreements. The analysis suggests that cooperation in implementing competition laws is immensely helpful. However, at this moment, India can follow the EU style of agreements with competition provisions such as cooperation, exchange of non-confidential information, technical assistance and consultation.trade, India, Competition Clauses