Businessweek: Global Competitors: The Super Markets - Europe gets 7 out of 10 slots- by Mark Scott
Global Competitors: The Super Markets- Europe gets 7 out of 10 slots-by Mark Scott
Red-hot emerging markets have been the engine for much of the world's economic growth in recent years. So it's a bit surprising to see gazelles such as China and India outranked by more stately performers such as Switzerland and Denmark in the annual tally by Geneva's World Economic Forum of the world's most competitive economies, released on Nov. 1.Looking at competitiveness through this lens gives an especially favorable picture of the U.S., which jumped from sixth place in last year's survey to No. 1 in 2007 on the back of strong R&D investment and world-beating financial markets.
Perhaps the biggest surprise on this year's list is how competitively Europe ranks on the global stage, with 7 of the top 10 slots. That smartly revises the common but dated perception of a go-slow Europe of high taxes and inflexible labor rules. Only 2 of the top 10, on the other hand, are from the Asia-Pacific region—Singapore and Japan. Out of the top European countries mentioned, three are Scandinavian. The region boasts world -class education systems, strong ties between universities and the business community, and places an emphasis on the high-tech economy.
Labels: EU
