https://hdl.handle.net/10419/175664 2026-10-24T20:49:16Z 2026-10-24T20:49:16Z Görg, Holger https://hdl.handle.net/10419/272287 2023-11-03T02:25:46Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Drivers and extent of foreign direct investment in Sub-Sahara Africa Authors: Görg, Holger Abstract: When it comes to attracting foreign direct investment, Africa as a whole may be described as some-thing like the "forgotten continent". In a global comparison, the continent is fairly insignificant as a destination for the investment of foreign companies. This paper makes this point using aggregate data on world-wide FDI stocks. It then tries to explain why this is the case. It first reviews the important drivers of FDI that have been identified in the literature, and then compares the performance of African countries in terms of those determinants with that of other potential host countries.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Lugo, Maria Ana Raiser, Martin Yemtsov, Ruslan https://hdl.handle.net/10419/251117 2023-12-17T02:25:46Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: China's economic transformation and poverty reduction over the years: An overview Authors: Lugo, Maria Ana; Raiser, Martin; Yemtsov, Ruslan Abstract: The present document examines the role of social and economic transformation in the process of poverty reduction in China. China's economic growth and poverty reduction over the past 40 years are historically unprecedented both in speed and scale. Between 1978 and 2018 China's economy grew at an annual rate of 9.5 percent, twice as fast as the other developing regions of the World. The proportion of those living in poverty in rural areas fell from 97.5 percent to less than one percent over this period. There are 765 million fewer poor people in China in 2019 than they were in 1980. This means that China alone accounts for three quarters of the total reduction in global extreme poverty in that period. Although China's growth rate will continue to slow in the coming decades, the scope for economic convergence through structural transformation has not yet been fully exhausted. Further urbanization and associated productivity increases can continue to play a critical role for poverty reduction in China. However, for progress to be sustained a number of adjustments to policy will be needed.

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z Görg, Holger Hanley, Aoife Heidbrink, Ludger Hoffmann, Stefan Requate, Tilman https://hdl.handle.net/10419/231361 2023-12-03T02:26:58Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Ein Lieferkettengesetz für Deutschland? Authors: Görg, Holger; Hanley, Aoife; Heidbrink, Ludger; Hoffmann, Stefan; Requate, Tilman Abstract: Ein Lieferkettengesetz kann einen starken Anreiz dafür setzen, dass deutsche Unternehmen sich für nachhaltige Sozial- und Umweltbedingungen in globalen Lieferketten einsetzen. Dabei sollte jedoch überdacht werden, ob es zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nicht sinnvoller wäre, eine gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Haftung durch eine zunächst zeitlich befristete Selbstverpflichtungsphase zu ersetzen oder zu ergänzen. Während eine ausführlichere Überwachung internationaler Lieferketten kurzfristig zu höheren Kosten für Unternehmen führen kann, ist mittel- bis langfristig mit Kostensenkungen und Effizienzsteigerungen in der Produktion zu rechnen. Dieses wiederum wird die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit deutscher Unternehmen auf den internationalen Märkten erhöhen, in denen auf nachhaltige Produktion geachtet wird.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Glitsch, Julian Godart, Olivier N. Görg, Holger Mösle, Saskia Steglich, Frauke https://hdl.handle.net/10419/219039 2023-11-12T02:24:37Z 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Lagging behind? German Foreign Direct Investment in Africa Authors: Glitsch, Julian; Godart, Olivier N.; Görg, Holger; Mösle, Saskia; Steglich, Frauke Abstract: German Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa is lagging behind China, France, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and other economies. It represented only 1 percent of the German total FDI stock abroad in 2018 and is concentrated in few African countries. Overall, around 850 German firms have roughly 200,000 employees on the African continent (as of 2017). Compared with the main sending countries, German FDI is more concentrated in manufacturing as opposed to the natural resources sector. Germany has engaged in various proactive policies to encourage FDI, including in Africa. For example, the Federal Government offers investment guarantees to German firms to cover political risks, which are often high in developing and emerging countries. German Chambers of Commerce abroad provide information on the local business environment, local investment opportunities and partners and thus aim to bridge information gaps often hindering FDI. More recently, new initiatives such as "German Desks" and "AfricaConnect" were introduced. They rely on private-public partnerships to facilitate access to local business opportunities but also to third markets in neighboring countries. Based on an analysis of German FDI in 115 countries since 2010, we confirm that German Chambers of Commerce are related to a higher German FDI stock in their country of location. Moreover, we find that German investment guarantees help to reduce negative effects of low institutional quality. They are nevertheless only a second best option as compared to improving the national institutional environment. This is particularly true in the African context if the goal is to increase significantly the number of German firms active on the continent. Recipient countries have also developed tools to attract FDI including "Investment Promotion Agencies" (IPAs) and "Special Economic Zones" (SEZs), aiming at compensating for weaknesses in the national business environment. While there is some evidence in the literature about IPAs as investment facilitators, the evidence is rather mixed concerning SEZs. In our analysis of German FDI, we do not find a significant correlation between the presence of SEZs and the German FDI stock. Assessing the impact of very recent initiatives such as the "German Desks" and "AfricaConnect" is less straightforward as they are still in their infancy. They have the potential to reduce costly information barriers to FDI. Nevertheless, their beneficial effect on German FDI may take time to materialize and depends strongly on a business friendly institutional environment and cross border openness between African countries to FDI and trade.

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z