This volume uses the study of firm dynamics to investigate the factors preventing faster productivity growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, pushing past the limits of traditional macroeconomic analyses. Each chapter is dedicated to an examination of a different factor affecting firm productivity - innovation, ICT usage, on-the-job-training, firm age, access to credit, and international linkages - highlighting the differences in firm characteristics, behaviors, and strategies. By showcasing this remarkable heterogeneity, this collection challenges regional policymakers to look beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and create balanced policy mixes tailored to distinct firm needs.       This book is open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO license.     

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is an international institution created in 1959 to foster economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean.       Matteo Grazzi is a Specialist in the Competitiveness and Innovation Division of the Inter-American Development Bank. Before joining the IDB, Grazzi worked as a consultant economist at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile, and as a researcher at the Centre for Research on Latin American and Transition Economies Studies (ISLA) at Bocconi University, Italy. He holds a PhD in International Law and Economics from Bocconi University and an MA in Development Economics from the University of Sussex, UK. His main research interests focus on international and development economics, the economics of innovation, and ICT for development.        Carlo Pietrobelli is a Lead Specialist in the Competitiveness and Innovation Division of the Inter-American Development Bank. Prior to joining the IDB, he was Professor of Economics at the University of Roma Tre, Italy, and Director of the Center for Studies on the Economics of Institutions (CREI). He also served as Deputy Rector for university-Industry linkages at the same university. Pietrobelli holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University, UK, and has worked as policy adviser for international organizations like the European Commission, the World Bank, IFAD, UNIDO, UNCTAD, ECLAC, CAF, and OECD in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. His research interests include innovation and technological change, industrial policy, international trade, and clusters and value chains in developing countries. His research has been published in many academic journals and books. At the IDB, Pietrobelli designs and manages programs to promote competitiveness and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean.