A Strategic Plan for Attracting Chemicals, Plastics, and Rubber Industry Investment in the State of Victoria: For the state government of Victoria (Australia), SRI prepared a strategic plan for attracting Chemicals, Plastics, and Rubber (CPR) investment to Victoria over the next 5-10 years.
Analysis of a Privatization Transaction in Sri Lanka: At the request of the Investment Office of USAID, SRI economists undertook an economic analysis of the privatization of a tire monopoly in Sri Lanka to assess the feasibility of providing a U.S. Government-backed loan guarantee to support the privatization. The SRI team assessed the economic costs and benefits of the privatization transaction, as well as the projected profitability of the privatized firm.
Apparel Export Promotion Program for Uruguay: SRI conducted detailed market studies for apparel manufacturers in Uruguay to expand their sales in the United States, Germany, and Spain, and designed separate strategies for expanding apparel export sales to these markets.
Dominican Republic Investment Climate Diagnostic Review: For FIAS of the World Bank, SRI conducted a review of the foreign direct investment (FDI) climate of the Dominican Republic. SRI assessed the business climate of the Dominican Republic, focusing on the policy and legal framework, benchmarked the Dominican Republic with competing locations and recommended policy and strategic measures to enhance the Dominican Republic’s competitiveness as a location for FDI.
Export-Oriented Investment Promotion for Australia: SRI prepared a comprehensive strategy for Australia to promote new investment in three sectors: Food processing, minerals processing, and automotive components. The project included an assessment of Australia's competitive strengths and weaknesses in relation to competitor countries, as well as a detailed organizational plan for the initiative.
Investment and Trade Strategy for Australia. For the Australian Trade Commission, SRI prepared a comprehensive national strategy for Australia to promote investment and trade in three sectors: Food processing, minerals processing, and automotive components. SRI conducted an assessment of Australia's strengths and weaknesses in relation to competitor countries, and developed detailed policy, regulatory, and program modifications to enhance competitiveness.
Jamaican Free Zone Marketing Campaign: SRI assisted Jamaican free zones to enhance their competitiveness by assessing the zones' competitive advantages, identifying high priority target markets, designing a marketing program, and training program zone staff.
Kazakstan Investment Summit: Under funding from Chevron Petroleum Incorporated, SRI organized and facilitated an investment summit in Almaty Kazakstan. SRI made an assessment of the county's overall investment climate, its current investment law, and made recommendations for its investment promotion strategy. SRI identified high-priority investment opportunities in various sectors.
National Export Plan for Guatemala: SRI developed a comprehensive National Plan for the development and promotion of Exports. This effort included detailed recommendations for policy, regulatory and institutional reforms aimed at stimulating Guatemalan exports.
New Directions for U.S. Latin America Cooperation in Science and Technology. This study, mandated by the U.S. Congress, analyzes S&T capabilities in Latin America, focusing on five fields (astronomy, physics, geosciences, biological sciences, and engineering) in five of the most scientifically active Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela). Possibilities for joint scientific initiatives of mutual benefit to Latin America and the United States are explored in detail, along with options for effective mechanisms to implement these initiatives.
Poland and Hungary: Private Sector Development (RITE): SRI economists participated on a team to establish a USAID-funded program to assist Poland and Hungary to make the transition to a market-oriented economy. SRI was responsible for contributing to the investment promotion and policy reform elements of the project.
Privatization Assistance to Zambia: Under the Privatization and Development Project, SRI provided USAID/Zambia and other USAID missions throughout Africa with a review of the worldwide experience of countries undertaking privatization, and identified the lessons learned which would be relevant for Zambia. The study examined alternative approaches in the following areas: enterprise classification systems; privatization techniques and methods; financing instruments; policy and regulatory reform; expanding local share ownership; and techniques for overcoming political and social opposition to privatization.
Privatization Strategy for Kenya: SRI prepared a strategic plan for the privatization or restructuring of all of the parastatals involved in Kenya's manufacturing sector. The study elaborated a series of major policy reforms to reduce the drag parastatals are currently having on the Kenyan economy.
Promotion of State and Local Community and Economic Development Partnerships. In a national project for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), SRI directed a major effort to promote the creation of public-private partnerships in six representative urban areas across the country. SRI developed a series of widely used guidebooks for both corporate and local government leaders on their respective roles in such partnerships and worked closely with leaders from six communities to organize partnerships of their own.
Sri Lanka Competitiveness Study: In this study funded by USAID/Sri Lanka, SRI prepared an economic competitiveness analysis of Sri Lanka that focused on assessing the nation’s macroeconomic and commercial policy competitiveness, and employed two methodological approaches developed by SRI’s Economic Practice – the Commercial Policy Benchmarking Model, and the WEB Model of Development Performance Measurement.
Tianjin in Transition: Toward a More Market-Oriented Economy. Assisted Tianjin municipality and the provinces of Sichuan, Hubei, and Shandong in developing strategies to improve their economies. Through a process of education and consultation, SRI staff guided regional leaders as they undertook a two-year analytic and strategic planning process. The team's work included analyzing key industries and their economic infrastructure needs, and determining how a partially planned economy might encourage the growth of dynamic economic clusters. SRI assisted with the implementation of its recommendations by serving as a bridge between regional and central governments.
R&D Divisions