Fostering Entrepreneurship in Armenia

The central challenge facing the government of Armenia today is the need to transform its economic infrastructure into one that, in the medium term, is resilient to external shocks. To do so, it needs to find new sources of long-term economic growth that will enable it to become an upper-middle-income country. Crucial to achieving this objective is a dynamic and vibrant private sector, and in particular entrepreneurial activity, which generates new businesses and fosters competition and economic growth. Fostering Entrepreneurship in Armenia uses data and in-depth case studies to identify the determinants of high-growth entrepreneurial activity. It finds that, while there is a higher level of entrepreneurial activity in Armenia compared with other countries in the region, a number of constraints to the growth of entrepreneurial and innovative activity remain. Based on these findings, the book outlines broad policy directions for improving the business environment, providing access to finance, developing skills, increasing access to markets, incentivizing firm-level research and development, and raising awareness, and it identifies priority areas for government action. The issues discussed in this book will be of particular interest to policy makers who are aiming to achieve higher growth and job creation through entrepreneurship, as well as to development practitioners and those in the private sector.