National Competitiveness in the Western Balkans: Challenges and Opportunities

Domazet, Ivana and Marjanović, Darko (2026) National Competitiveness in the Western Balkans: Challenges and Opportunities. In: National Competitive Advantage Amid Rapid Global Transformation. IGI Global, Hershey, PA, pp. 315-349. ISBN 9798337322476

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Abstract

The main economic factors that influence national competitiveness are GDP growth, inflation, foreign direct investment and the trade balance. The main objective of this chapter is to identify the impact of national competitiveness on economic growth in the Western Balkans. In this context, this chapter will focus on: (1) the theoretical analysis of clusters as a factor in the competitiveness of an economy and (2) the analysis of the state of economic reforms and policies that are crucial for the competitiveness of the Western Balkan (WB) countries, with a direct focus on investment policies and promotion. The study is based on a descriptive analysis of secondary data from the OECD. The period covered by the investment policy analysis is 2018 to 2024, and the results show that national competitiveness in the WB countries needs to be further strengthened by improving the business environment, creating better conditions for investment and promoting innovation, all with the aim of economic growth in these countries.

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