TPT November 2010

G lobal M arketplace

sector – weaknesses that dropped it to third place, after Denmark and Canada. The report notes that the tighter immigration policies adopted after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US have had the hampering effect of controlling the stream of skilled workers into the country and creating disenchantment, particularly among immigrants. Messrs Acs and Szerb wrote, “In this respect, countries like Canada, New Zealand, and Australia have all been more pragmatic by giving strong incentives to attract educated, skilled workers to their shores . . . and to keep them there with offers of residency and citizenship.” Staff writer Brian Anthony Hernandez of BusinessNewsDaily (15 September) pointed out that the US earns high marks for startup skills, competition and new-technology development, and also ranks first in entrepreneurial aspiration: defined as the amount of activity directed toward innovation, high-impact entrepreneurship and globalisation. But it lags in societal attitude toward entrepreneurship, and in entrepreneurial activity: what citizens are doing to improve the quality of human resources and technological efficiency. › However, the authors noted, “It seems that in many respects a slowdown in US entrepreneurial activities may be a reflection of progress by the rest of the world – in learning from the US model and beginning to catch up.” They expressed the hope that the findings of their paper should serve as an eye-opener to the third-place US, rather than as a cause for alarm. They also had some advice for the bronze-medal

winner: “The United States does not simply need more new businesses. It needs more highly productive ventures. A potential way of achieving this kind of productivity improvement is to make progress in entrepreneurship.” › The US suffered another recent demotion, dropping from No. 2 to No. 9 in the Forbes fifth annual ranking of Best Countries for Business. The findings here, which roughly paralleled those reported above, were derived from the business magazine’s analysis of 128 economies and included an encomium for Denmark. Forbes ’s Kurt Badenhausen wrote (8 September), “Grabbing the top spot for a third straight year is Denmark. Its $309 billion economy struggled in 2009, like the rest of the world, with GDP down 4.7%. But when it comes to advantageous business climates the Danes reign supreme. “Denmark scored in the top five among all countries in four of the 11 categories we considered as part of the ranking, including property rights, technology, corruption, and personal freedom.” Mr Badenhausen also noted that a “big mover up the rankings” is Hong Kong (trading places with the US to move up to No. 2 from No. 9), which scored in the top three in the categories of taxes, investor protection, and both trade and monetary freedom. He wrote, “The Hong Kong economy has bounced back more quickly than others as it established closer ties to China through tourism, trade, and financial links.” Dorothy Fabian , Features Editor (USA)

CON.T.R.A.S.T.

www.contrastsale.com

info@contrastsale.com

Impeder core for high frequency welding of tubes

Fiberglass pipes for impeder core

Tungsten carbide insert for outside tube scarfing

HSS-DMo5 saw blades & friction circular saw blades

CON.T.R.A.S.T. 30026 PORTOGRUARO - Italy - Via Umbria, 15 Tel. ++39.0421.271699 Fax ++39.0421.770571

76

N ovember 2010

www.read-tpt.com

›