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Negli ultimi anni - anche a seguito di gravi episodi di cronaca (dalla BSE, all'influenza aviaria, fino alla cosiddetta "terra dei fuochi") ed in generale dell'interesse dei media per la tematica dell'alimentazione - l'attenzione dell'opinione pubblica sul sistema di controllo degli alimenti si è notevolmente accresciuta. Non sempre però la suddetta opinione pubblica percepisce correttamente la complessità del sistema in questione, complessità che in gran parte deriva proprio dalla multiforme articolazione dell'apparato produttivo che, nella fase attuale, realizza la produzione e la distribuzione degli alimenti, nonché dalla pluralità di modelli organizzativi costruiti dal mercato o definiti in sede istituzionale (basti pensare ad esempio al biologico). Rispetto al sistema dei controlli le opinioni correnti sono abbastanza contraddittorie oscillando, a seconda della situazione, tra l'accusa di "opprimere" gli operatori economici e la difesa incondizionata di essi in quanto baluardo dei consumatori. Il primo obiettivo della ricerca realizzata nell'ambito del dottorato è stato pertanto quello di analizzare lo scenario normativo – relativo alla sicurezza, alla qualità, etc. - dal quale promanano le diverse esigenze di controllo e di vigilanza. Connesso a questo scenario vi è il processo normativo avviato, sempre a livello europeo, negli ultimi decenni, che ha teso a uniformare proprio il sistema dei controlli in ambito agroalimentare, sistema del quale si è proceduto a ricostruire il quadro normativo vigente così come definito in ambito europeo e nazionale. Sulla base di tale ricostruzione sono stati analizzati in dettaglio tutti i soggetti (pubblici e privati) che, nel caso italiano, rappresentano gli attori del sistema dei controlli e le funzioni loro attribuite. Il modello organizzativo risultante – costituito da più di trenta soggetti (amministrazioni statali, regionali, locali, e privati che esercitano funzioni pubbliche), di cui ben ventitré coinvolti nell'attività ispettiva – appare molto articolato e lascia di per sé ipotizzare l'esistenza di sovrapposizioni e duplicazioni nei controlli. Tali fenomeni sono stati analizzati in dettaglio, considerando le diverse aree del controllo (igienico-sanitario, merceologico e fiscale), attraverso delle matrici di interazione che hanno evidenziato la sussistenza di livelli elevati di interazione non solo all'interno della stessa area, ma anche tra le diverse aree. Il sistema dei controlli nel suo insieme (comprensivo delle diverse aree sopra indicate) realizza una mole di attività davvero consistente: basti pensare che, facendo riferimento alle sole visite ispettive, nel 2011 sono stati effettuati oltre un milione di sopralluoghi e nell'anno successivo più di ottocentomila. Nel caso delle produzioni a qualità regolamentata ai sensi del Reg. (CE) n. 1151/2012 il sistema dei controlli appare ulteriormente complesso; tali produzioni (DOP e IGP) sono infatti sottoposte ad "doppio meccanismo" di controllo, nel senso che sono soggette ai controlli "ordinari" e a quelli derivanti dalla loro specificità normativa. Per i prodotti in questione il sistema dei controlli è articolato in quattro "canali": quello propriamente ispettivo, quello della certificazione (svolto dagli Enti di Certificazione), quello di vigilanza "al commercio" (svolto dai Consorzi) e quello di vigilanza sugli Enti di Certificazione (svolto dall'ICQRF e/o dalle Regioni). L'intero sistema agisce su uno scenario produttivo estremamente differenziato nel quale coesistono denominazioni caratterizzate da produzioni su larga scala, denominazioni "di nicchia" e denominazioni in fase di avvio. Sulla base di tale schema interpretativo l'ultimo obiettivo perseguito attraverso la ricerca è stato quello di realizzare una indagine empirica finalizzata a quantificare il "peso" del sistema dei controlli nel caso delle produzioni in parola. L'indagine è stata realizzata integrando dati di fonte amministrativa con informazioni reperite attraverso una indagine diretta. Le elaborazioni effettuate considerano progressivamente le diverse tipologie di controllo fino ad integrare le informazioni disponibili in un modello di regressione, finalizzato a spiegare la numerosità dei controlli stessi in funzione delle altre variabili disponibili. Il quadro risultante evidenzia, per un numero consistente di denominazioni, che il sistema di controllo appare coerente con il quadro normativo e per certi versi - specie per alcune classi di prodotto - abbastanza efficiente. Per altre denominazioni, tuttavia, il quadro che emerge dalle elaborazioni evidenzia alcune criticità. Infine le stime della regressione evidenziano che le variabili che influenzano in maniera significativa il numero dei controlli sono rappresentate dal numero degli operatori assoggettati e dal numero di campioni prelevati. ; In recent years - partly as a result of severe chronicle episodes (from BSE, to Avian Influenza, to the so-called "Terra dei Fuochi") and in general of the interest of the media in the issue of alimentation - the attention of the public opinion on the food control system has increased greatly. Not always, however, the above mentioned public opinion correctly perceives the complexity of the system in question, a complexity that largely derives from the manifold articulation of the productive system that, at this stage, fulfils the manufacturing and distribution of food, as well as the plurality of organizational models, created by the market or institutionally defined (for example, organic food). Regarding the control system, the current opinions are quite contradictory, oscillating, depending on the situation, from the accusation of "oppressing" the economic operators (traders) and their unconditional defense as a "bulwark" of the consumers. The first aim of the research carried out as part of the PhD was therefore to analyze the regulatory set – about safety, quality, etc. from which the different needs of control and supervision emanate. Connected to this scenario, there is a regulatory process started, always at an European level, in the last decades, which has tended to standardize just the system of controls in the agricultural and food sector, the system of which we proceeded to rebuild the existing regulatory framework as defined at European and national levels . On the basis of this reconstruction all the subjects (public and private) were analyzed in detail and, in the Italian case, they are the actors of the control system and the functions assigned to them. The resulting organizational model - consisting of more than thirty subjects (central, regional, local governments and private individuals wielding public functions), of which twenty-three are directly involved in the inspection - looks very articulate and lets assume the existence of overlaps and duplications in the controls. These phenomena have been analyzed in detail, considering the different areas of control (sanitary and commodity-related and fiscal) through some interaction matrices that have shown the existence of high levels of interaction not only within the same area, but also between different areas. The control system as a whole (including the various areas mentioned above) makes a really significant amount of activities: in fact, referring only to the inspections in 2011 there were over a million of visits and in the following year more than eight hundred thousand. In the case of the quality productions regulated by the Regulation (EC) No . 1151/2012, the control system is further complicated; such productions (PDO and PGI) are in fact subject to a "dual control mechanism", meaning that they are subject to "ordinary" inspection and to those resulting from their specific regulations . For the products in question, the control system is divided into four "channels": the one of proper inspection, the one of certification (played by Certificate Authorities), the one of trade supervision (played by Consortiums) and that of supervision of Certificate Authorities (played by 'ICQRF and / or by Regions) . The entire system operates at a highly differentiated production scenario in which names characterized by large-scale productions, "niche" names and names at start-up point coexist. On the basis of this interpretative scheme the ultimate goal pursued by the research was to provide an empirical study aimed at quantifying the "weight" of the control system in the case of the productions in question. The survey was undertaken by integrating administrative data with information obtained through a direct survey . The performed calculations progressively consider the different types of control up to supplement the available information in a regression model, which aims at explaining the plurality of checks themselves in relation to other available variables. The resulting picture shows, for a large number of names, that the control system appears to be coherent with the regulatory framework and in some ways - especially for some classes of product - very efficient. For other denominations, however, the picture that emerges from the elaborations underlines some critical issues. Finally, the estimates of the regression show that the variables that significantly influence the number of controls are represented by the number of operators subjected and by the number of samples taken. ; Dottorato di ricerca in Biotecnologia degli alimenti (XXVI ciclo)

How did bilateral relations between Italy and Ethiopia-Eritrea evolved after the colonial period? What was the impact of the Italian economic presence on the economy of Ethiopia and Eritrea in the post-colonial period? Why since the end of the World War II has been existing in Ethiopia a widespread pro-Italian judgment despite the colonial past? The purpose of this research is to answer to such questions. Description of the research Chapter 1 is dedicated to the evolution of the bilateral relations between Italy and Ethiopia between 1947 and 1955. The Treaty of Peace, signed in Paris on February 10, 1947, imposed to Italy, among the other provisions, the recognition of the independence of Ethiopia, the renouncement of claims to colonies including Eritrea and the payment of war reparations to Ethiopia. These issues took time to be actually solved. Especially with regard to the future of Eritrea the tensions between Italy and Ethiopia flared up despite the fact that diplomatic relations were resumed at the beginning of 1952. In addition there were complex negotiations on the amount of the war reparations to be paid. Finally, the artworks carried away from Ethiopia during the occupation period were returned with delay and in several tranches between 1954 and 2005. As a general consideration, the whole picture of the bilateral relations between 1947 and the beginning of the '70s shows the alternation of long periods of strong tension with shorter ones of détente. Chapter 2 and 3 outline the main characteristics and the evolution of the Italian economic presence in Ethiopia and in Eritrea between 1941 and 1974. The first years after 1941 were extremely troubled. Many Italians were expelled from the two countries, many were confined to concentration camps, and in Ethiopia many became clandestines in order not to be forced to leave the country. In the late '40s, Italians in Eritrea became the target of terrorist actions by the shifta. Many Italians were killed and several companies managed by them were destroyed or seriously damaged. Italians went through other serious difficulties in the early '70s when the growing guerrilla made Eritrea highly insecure. Despite these difficulties Italians kept on carrying out their activities that flourished in the '50s and the '60s but were decimated by the nationalizations of the Derg during the first half of the '70s. Main Results With regard to the bilateral relations Italian diplomatic documents show the will of both parties to reach an agreement on the post war issues. However it was a very tough negotiation, as expected. In contrast to the belief expressed in some relevant and well-known works, i.e. Del Boca's one, the complexity of such a negotiation seems to be due more to the Ethiopian tactics than to the alleged Italian purpose to delay the final settlement. Furthermore it is crystal clear that one of the top priority of the Italian Government in negotiating was to protect the Italian communities in Ethiopia and Eritrea. This result is in contrast with what affirmed by Del Boca in particular, who stressed a sort of lack of interest of Italy in the co-nationals resident in the two countries. Chapter 2 and 3 shows that the efforts of Italians workers and entrepreneurs in Ethiopia and Eritrea after the end of the occupation are worthy of note and memory. Such efforts testify to an extraordinary commitment. Italians arrived in Ethiopia and Eritrea with dreams and hopes that many were finally able to see come true. Some of their stories are uniquely interesting. Emperor Haile Selassie undoubtedly played a significant role in fostering the rapid development of Italian economic activities and in shaping fruitful and cooperative relations between Italians and Ethiopians. He protected the Italians because he was deeply convinced of the important economic role that Italians would still have been able to play in Ethiopia, not only in the early post-occupation period, but also for the future of the country. Italian economic presence was strong in quantity and quality both in Ethiopia and Eritrea. However it is quite clear that throughout the period between 1941 and 1974 the incidence of Italian economic activities was significantly higher in Eritrea than Ethiopia. Italian firms were modern and efficient, and they were the backbone of the economy of Eritrea. The higher impact of our entrepreneurs in Eritrea was due to the longer stay of Eritrea itself under the Italian Government, which resulted in a much larger Italian community in Eritrea than in Ethiopia, both in absolute and relative terms. Almost the entire industrial and advanced agricultural sectors in Eritrea was in hands of the Italians. Provided that at the beginning of the '50s, the 80% of manufacturing plants of the Ethio-Eritrean Federation was based in Eritrea, it must concluded that the incidence of the Italian companies in the whole industrial sector was huge. In addition, except for the Italian activities, there were only a few other companies, especially in the agricultural and commercial sectors, managed by Eritreans or expatriates of other communities. In agriculture, where traditional ways and means of cultivation and a subsistence production still prevailed, the big agricultural and agro-processing companies run by the Italians were extraordinarily efficient. The Italians used modern techniques and machinery. They diversified their production. They also built dams, irrigation systems and major infrastructure projects for the reclamation of land to production. Even before the 50's and increasingly in the following decades, the Italian agricultural firms were able to export to neighboring markets, after meeting domestic demand. For the rest, the Eritrean economy was based on subsistence and largely unproductive agriculture. Italian activities strongly contributed to the national economy. In the economy of the Empire, characterized by a very low incidence of industrial development and the export of a few agricultural products (coffee, hides, oilseeds), the production for export made by Italian companies represented a unique economic opportunity for the entire country. The contribution of Italian economic activities was more evident in Eritrea than in Ethiopia. According to many sources, if Eritrean exports and imports would have been precisely accounted for - that is without considering the value of the goods that passed through Eritrea, but whose final destination was Ethiopia - Eritrea's trade deficit would have been significantly reduced or even zeroed out. Furthermore, the presence of flourishing Italian companies had positive repercussions also on the Eritrean state budget thanks to the tax 5 income they produced. By the way, the rates applied to Italian companies were much higher than those applied to local ones. The Italian business elite was also able to translate in images the social renewal processes of the 50's and the 60's. The buildings designed by Arturo Mezzedimi were perhaps the most evident symbols of such ability. Such buildings represented the avant-garde architecture of those years. Another building contractor, Mario Buschi, very active throughout the Empire, highly contributed to shape the modern image of Addis Ababa. The statistics shows that from 1957 to 1974 Italy was, together with USA, the main commercial partner of the Ethiopian Empire. Even in the period 1941-1951, during which official diplomatic relations between Italy and Ethiopia were absent, the bilateral trade was relevant and in particular Italy was in those years the first importer from Ethiopia. These exceptional results were due indeed to Italian resident community that with its economic activities highly contributed to nurture commercial flows from and to Italy. The good relations between the Italians who remained after 1941 and the Ethiopians played a decisive role in rapidly archiving the memory of the Italians as colonizers. Indeed such relationship was generally dominated by a constructive spirit of cooperation and probably fueled by some deep affinity of character between our two peoples. They were the Italians that contributed to maintain a good image of Italy in Ethiopia even during the absence of official diplomatic relations or at times of misunderstandings and difficulties in the dialogue between the two governments. In decades of coexistence the Italians and Ethiopians have been able to establish a fruitful dialogue, marked by mutual understanding, esteem and respect. Workplaces were the main venue where such a dialogue has taken its shape. The author spent 4 years in Ethiopia, from 2008 to 2012, as head of the commercial section of the Italian Embassy. This experience allowed her to learn parts of the history of the Italian community in Ethiopia and in Eritrea between 1941 and 1974 directly from the present generations of Italian businessmen resident in Ethiopia. The author also had the opportunity to consult Italians' personal archives in which she could find documents and books that are not anymore on the market and difficult to find in libraries. Her personal experience and knowledge of the country and the people added depth to this work that is however based almost exclusively on written sources.

ÖZKüresel ilaç ve biyoteknoloji endüstrisi 2011 yılı sonu itibariyle yaklaşık960 milyar dolar tutarında bir hacme ulaşmış ve önceki beşyıllık dönemde ortalama yıllık % 7,8 seviyesinde bir büyümesergilemiştir. Yeniilaçkeşfi, geliştirmesi ve pazarlaması üstüne kurulu iş modeliyle, ve 20 yıllık patent hakkının sağladığı korumayla bu endüstrikalıcı ve istikrarlı bir büyüme yaşamıştır. Tarihsel olarak civarındabrüt kâr marjı, -50 aralığındafaaliyetmarjı ve sağlıklı serbest nakitakışı sayesinde ilaç endüstrisi kârlı bir endüstri olagelmiştir.Ancak endüstrinin büyümesini sağlayan bu ilaçların patent koruma sürelerininson yıllarda teker teker dolmasıyla endüstri yaklaşık 125 milyar dolar civarında bir satış kaybı yaşamış, vegüçlü bir yeni ürün hattınınolmamasından dolayı bu kaybı telaffi edememiştir. İlaç maliyetleri çoğunlukla devletler tarafından karşılandığından endüstri genellikle olumlu bir ekonomik büyüme ortamından yararlanagelmiştir. Yavaşlayanküresel ekonomive yaşlanan nüfusa bağlı artansağlıkkaynakları kullanımı, özellikleAmerika BirleşikDevletleri veAvrupaBirliğiülkelerinde sağlığa ayrılan fonların ekonomiye oranının artmasına neden olup endüstrinin aleyhinde bir durum yaratmıştır.Sonuç olarak ilaç şirketleri bu olumsuzpiyasa koşullarının üstünden gelmek vebüyümelerinisürdürmek içinyeni büyüme stratejileri arama yoluna gitmiş, vesüratlegelişmekte olan, ve Türkiye'nin de dahil kabul edildiği Yükselen BRIC(Brezilya, Hindistan, ÇinveBrezilya) Pazarlarına öncelik vermişlerdir. Bu ekonomilerin, %5-10 yıllık GSYİH büyüme sergilemeleri, nüfuslarının sağlık hizmetlerine erişiminin ve ihtiyariharcamalarının artması tümküresel ilaç şirketleriiçinumut verici birgörünümsunmuştur.Ancak, hergelişmekte olan piyasakendine özgünsosyo-ekonomik ve politik özellikler gösterdiğindengelişmiş piyasalardabaşarılı olmuş yöntemleri aynen uygulamak aynı başarıyı tekrarlamaya yeterli olmayacaktır. Bir önliteratür taramasıbuaraştırma konusununincelenmediğini ortaya koymuştur. Butezinamacı Yükselen Pazarlarda ilaç ve biyoteknoloji şirketlerininkârlı büyümesini teminen nitelvenicel olarak başarı etmenlerini araştırmaktır.Niteliksel araştırma yöntemi akademik kurumlarca basılmışyayınları, düşüncetankları, yaşam bilimlerisanayidergileri, hükümetlerveyönetim danışmanlıkfirmalarının yayınları taranması ve bahsi geçen başarılı uygulamaların saptanması şeklinde gerçekleştirilmiştir.Retrospektif gözlemselmalianalizigerçekleştirmek amacıyla ise, küresel ölçektefaaliyet gösteren en büyük 14ilaç vebiyoteknoloji şirket verileri yatırımcılara açık kaynaklardan derlenmiş, ve endüstride yaygın olarak kullanılan finansal yaklaşım yöntemi kullanılarak ikiayrı gruptaincelenmiştir.Sermayekârlılığı ve yatırımcılara geri dönüş değişkenleri 2009 den2011'i kapsayanüç yıllık birsüre içindedeğerlendirilmiştir. 2007-2011dönemine de bakılmakla beraber 2008ekonomik krizinin olumsuz ve tekil etkileri dolayısıyla bu dönemi kullanmaktan vazgeçilmiştir. Buçalışma, ilaç ve biyoteknolojişirketleri için bu firmaların ürün portföylerinin farklı olmasından dolayı, ayrı ayrı tekrarlanmıştır.Karşıılaştırmalıçıkarıma gidebilmek içintakvim ve maliyıllarnormalize edilmiştir.Araştırmaya alınan ilaç ve biyoteknoloji firmaları AmerikaBirleşik Devletleri, İngiltereveyaİsviçre merkezli, dünya çapındaoperasyonları olan,yıllık satışları 20 ila61 milyar dolar aralğında ve hisseleri NYSE veya NASDAQ'ta işlem gören firmalar arasından derlenmiştir.Yatırımcıya Geri Dönüşve Yatırılan Sermaye Dönüşü parametrelrini belirlemek için kamuya aşık şirketlerin malikaynaklarıtoplanmış vedaha sonrakarşılaştırmalısonuç eldeedebilmek içintakvim yıllarıyla firmaların maliyıllarıayarlanmak suretiylenormalize edilmiştir.Nitel çalışma ilaç ve biyoteknoloji firmalarının Gelişmekte OlanPazarlarda yatırımcıdeğeri oluşturmak ve rekabetçi kalmak için tez kapsamında bulunan yedibaşarı faktörü aşağıda sıralanmıştır:1. Yerli Üretim Yapabilme Kabiliyeti2. Hızlı ve iyi ilişkilere dayanan Ruhsat ve Düzenleme Yetenekleri3. Ticari Organizasyon ModelininYükselen Pazar Koşullarınahitabedebilmesi4. GenişveVerimli bir Dağıtım Ağına Sahib olabilmek5. Devlet İhalelerinde Dinamik FiyatlandırmaYetenekleri6. Yerel Klinil Çalışma yapan düşünce liderlerini küreselKlinik Çalışma ve ürün geliştirme yapan liderlerlebütünleştirebilen bir Medikal Bölüm kabiliyeti, ve7. Yetkin ve yetenekli yerel personele erişim, işe alma ve işte tutma becerisi.Nicel olaraksa, Amerika BirleşikDevletleri'nde elde edilensatışYatırımcıya Geri Dönüş itibariylepozitif birkorelasyon gösterirken Yükselen Pazarlardakı satış geliri ilepozitif bir korelasyongörülmemiştir. Aynı örneklem için, Yatırılan Sermaye Kârlılığı hemilaç ve biyoteknolojifirmalarının satış gelirleri ilepozitif bir korelasyongöstermiştir. Bu bulgular, firmaların Yükselen Pazarlara girerken Yatırımcıya Geri Dönüş açısından getiri beklememelerini ve Yatırılan Sermaye Geri dönüşübazında da mütevazıbir beklentiiçinde olmalarını ortaya koymaktadır.ABSTRACTThe global pharmaceutical industry generated approximately $960 billion in revenue in 2011 demonstrating a 7.8% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the preceding five years. This industry, with its foundation in discovering, developing and marketing innovative medications had the benefit of patent lives -lasting around 20 years- providing sustenance for the business to grow steadily. It has been historically a profitable business with gross margins around 80% and operating margins in the range of 40-50%.While the industry enjoyed sustained free cash flow, over the last few years, it has been challenged by the expiry of patents of its products leading to massive revenue losses estimated around $125 billion and lack of a robust product pipeline to replace the lost revenue. Since the industry heavily relies on the governments to pay for its medicinal products, it thrives on a healthy economic mega-system. Industry's challenge was further compounded by a slowing global economy and an aging population utilizing more healthcare resources and increasing healthcare costs in developed countries, particularly in the United States and the European Union countries. These unfavorable market conditions pushed the pharmaceutical companies to identify new strategic value levers to sustain its growth, and consequently the industry set out to expeditiously expand its footprint in the emerging markets. As the beneficiaries of the globalizing economy, the BRIC (Brazil, India, China & Brazil) bloc of countries and Turkey had offered the biggest growth platform. These economies have demonstrated a vivid GDP growth in the range of 5-10% annual growth and, thanks to an increase in access to medicine and surge in discretionary spending of their population; offer a promising outlook to all global companies. In this context, products of pharmaceutical companies are well-positioned to address healthcare needs of the growing and aging populations in the Emerging Markets.Nonetheless, each individual emerging market demonstrates unique socio-economic and political characteristics, and even as a bloc do not present characteristics similar to developed markets due to a variety of underlying reasons.A preliminary literature review had indicated that this research topic was not sufficiently examined leaving an opportunity to investigate. Consequently, the objective of the thesis was established to explore this non-trivial Emerging Markets growth challenge on qualitative and quantitative fronts that would link both business strategy and financial outcome aspects to the pressing dilemma of profitably growing in the Emerging Markets.In order to perform the retrospective observational financial analysis, a total of 14 large companies operating on a global scale were identified, and investigated in two distinct groups under pharmaceutical and biotechnology company peer sets.A shareholder value analysis framework was utilized to map out the financial levers of value generation focusing on Total Return on Shareholder Value (TRS) and Return on Invested Capital (ROIC). The relationships between the geographic revenue breakdown and the two aforementioned parameters were tested by conducting a correlation analysis. These two parameters were collected over a three year period from 2009 through 2011. Similarly, a five year period ranging from 2007 through 2011 was also initially explored but then later discontinued since the 2008 economic downturn was identified as a disruptive confounding factor to the ability to draw meaningful conclusions.The correlation analysis was performed separately for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Pharmaceutical companies operate with a more traditional, primary care focused small molecule product portfolio whereas the biotechnology companies discover, develop and market expensive biologics products targeting specialists. Therefore, these two groups of life sciences companies were investigated in separate peer groups.The selected pharmaceutical companies were the largest among their peers by revenue which ranged from $20 to $61 billion. Correspondingly, their market capitalization was also among the highest in their peer set. While these companies were headquartered in the United States, United Kingdom or Switzerland; their common stock were all traded in NYSE. Also, they all recognized revenue through their worldwide operations that would allow to compare performance by geographic denominations. Similarly, seven largest biotechnology companies were all publicly traded in NYSE.Company financials to determine TRS and ROIC were collected through public sources, and later normalized by adjusting their fiscal years to the calendar years to be able to draw comparative conclusions.The qualitative study led to the identification of the following seven key success factors that the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies need to perform exceptionally well to stay competitive in the Emerging Markets:1.Local Manufacturing Presence2.Building Agile Regulatory Affairs Capabilities3.Commercial Model Addressing Emerging Market Needs4.Broad and Efficient Distribution Network5.Dynamic Pricing and Contracting Capabilities6.Emerging Market Medical Affairs Capabilities Connecting Local Thought Leaders to Global Clinical Development Leaders7.Access to and Retention of Local TalentThe quantitative analysis suggested that TRS did not show a positive correlation with the revenue booked in the Emerging Markets whereas the United States revenue showed a positive correlation. For the same sample set, the ROIC showed a positive correlation with the revenue booked by both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, suggesting that in the period of this study life sciences companies that enter the Emerging Markets should not expect an appreciation for their stock price while they will gain some modest returns on their invested capitals.

Ten technology forecast reports from the Fraunhofer Institute have been reviewed by staff at the Department of Military-Technology at the Swedish National Defence College (Note that there probably are other technology areas, equally interesting, but not included in this study). The task given by FMV was to assess the military utility of the chosen technologies in a time frame from 2025 to 2030, from a SwAF viewpoint. The method used was first to make a summary of each forecast report. The technology was then put into one or more scenarios that are assessed to be the best in order to show possible utility as well as possibilities and drawbacks of the technology. Based on a SWOT-analysis, the contribution to SwAF capabilities and the cost in terms of acquisition, C2 footprint, logistic footprint, doctrine/TTP, training, facilities and R&D were assessed. Conclusions regarding the military utility of the technology were drawn. We introduce our definition of military utility as being activities that efficiently and with the lowest cost in terms of lives and materiel lead to fulfilment of the mission objectives. The technologies were grouped in three classes; technologies with a significant potential, with uncertain potential and with negligible potential. The following technologies were assessed to have a significant potential for military utility; Augmented Reality Nano air vehicles Solid State Laser weapons In the scenarios studied, Augmented Reality (AR) is assessed to have a positive impact on several SwAF capabilities, especially for C2 and intelligence. AR is a relatively mature technology, applicable in many different branches. There are examples where AR is already applied with great success, e.g. Head-Up-Displays, HUD. The technology has proven its value. However, there are well known drawbacks to the technology such as weaknesses regarding models, increased weight for dismounted soldiers, power consumption etc. There is also a risk that personnel will have problems solving their tasks when AR systems fail, not being used to fighting without supporting systems. Nano air vehicles (NAV's) have been assessed to contribute to a large range of capabilities, primarily intelligence. Their lifecycle cost has been assessed to be low, since development in this area is commercially driven, bringing down acquisition costs. Also, FAA has decided to allow NAV's in controlled air space from 2015, which is expected to lead to an increase in civilian use of NAV's. The technology is relatively mature even though there are obstacles concerning suitable materials, energy efficient propulsion systems as well as miniaturized microprocessors and software to control them. In the scenario studied, High Energy Solid State Lasers are assessed to have a positive impact on SwAF capabilities to engage targets on surface and in the air. The technology can be used to protect vessels on the surface and thereby increase survivability. The development of SSL in the given timeframe is expected to lower cost per shot and avoid the environmental problems with use of chemical lasers. Neighbouring military powers are expected to use laser weapons in the future, therefore SwAF should monitor the development of the laser weapons technology and develop and purchase adequate countermeasures. The following technologies were assessed to have uncertain potential for military utility; Metamaterial cloaking Electromagnetic gun Small satellites Ultra-violet communication Metamaterial cloaking, if realisable in the future, is assessed to be firstly implemented in the acoustic spectrum, since manufacturing of small structured cloaks for the shorter wavelengths in the optic and radar spectra is believed to be more difficult. Cloaking of submarines is primarily assessed to increase the survivability against torpedoes having active sonar. The use of cloaked mines could pose a deterring threat, even to advanced amphibious operations against Sweden. The technological development in this area should be closely monitored and compared to existing, maturing techniques for countermeasures and for the development of broad spectrum active torpedoes. The greatest concern is that cloaking will have negative impact on submarine manoeuvrability. The electro-thermal chemical (ETC) gun seems to be a first step towards a fully electrical gun such as the rail-gun or the coil-gun. The fully electrical guns have been a work in progress for some decades and there are still remaining challenges both concerning electrical power supply and design materials. When or if, they will be operational is difficult to say. The military utility of small satellites is disputed, despite an assessed contribution to several of the SwAF capabilities. The main reason for this is that there seems to be other alternatives which provide the desired capabilities, at a lower cost. Furthermore, the realisability and performance of small productionline manufactured nanosatellites is uncertain. However the scenario has shown that there are benefits to the military utility not met by other resources, e.g. the capability to perform surveillance and reconnaissance in operational areas globally without risking violation of the territorial integrity of other states or the lives of military personnel. Since there is a great interest in the technology area and several programmes are ongoing internationally the knowledgebase is assessed to be significantly better in a five year period. Also, the Swedish in depth study of space exploitation is soon to report. Ultra-violet communication has uncertain potential for military utility within the period, but the technology is assessed to have a positive impact on SwAF capability to maintain communications. The theoretical understanding of the area is low It is therefore uncertain if systems can be realized in the time frame. However, if commercial applications are developed, the prospect of military applications might change. In that case UV-communication could be a complement to RF- communication but is not foreseen to replace it. The following technologies were assessed to have negligible potential for military utility; Biomimetic unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) Automated behaviour Analysis Evolutionary Robotics Biomimetic UUV's could be used for covert surveillance and inconspicuous naval reconnaissance missions at sea or in amphibious missions. Even though the report focuses on fishlike propulsion, the military utility of UUV's is assessed to be mostly dependent on the development of advanced automation and learning systems. As of now, we assess other existing technologies as being preferable due to lower cost and less complexity. The performance of UUV's needed for SwAF capabilities are assessed to be far off into the future. Simpler UUV systems could however be used by potential adversaries for monitoring our own base areas and hence the development should be monitored from a protection point of view. Automated behaviour analysis may be of some relevance for increased security screening and surveillance. The primary military utility of the technology will however probably be for international activities and to a lesser extent for increased base security in Sweden. Generally the main applications for this kind of technology are assessed to be for civilian use in public spaces and close to high value areas like airports, important official buildings and other similar objects. Evolutionary Robotics, here restricted to the sub domain Advanced Robotics, has uncertain potential for military utility within the period. In the scenarios studied the technology is assessed to have a positive impact on a broad range of SwAF capabilities. The area is large and inconsistent comprising sub areas that are assessed to have significant potential, but also those that are believed to have negligible potential or where technological obstacles might retard the development. Our evaluation of the used method shows that there is a risk that the assessment is biased by the participating experts' presumptions and experiences from their own field of research. The scenarios that were chosen do not cover all possible aspects of the technology and their possible contribution to operational capabilities. It should be stressed that we have assessed the ten technologies' military utility in the presented scenarios, not the technology itself. The chosen definition of military utility clearly affects the result of the study. The definition is believed to be good enough for this report, but could be further elaborated in the future. The greatest value of the method used is its simplicity, cost effectiveness and the trade off that it promotes learning within the working group. The composition of the working group and the methodology used is believed to provide for a broad and balanced coverage of the technologies under study.

Esta tesis se basa en tres publicaciones científicas. En primer lugar, analizamos el efecto de la suplementación con Probisan® en la rata Zucker Diabetic Fatty, un modelo animal experimental de diabetes tipo 2, en un estudio que duró 31 semanas (Estudio 1). Al final del estudio observamos que la administración de Probisan® en este modelo animal no previno el desarrollo de diabetes tipo 2 aunque si retrasó el inicio de la enfermedad. Además de ello, pudimos confirmar que la suplementación con Probisan® fue favorable porque disminuyó las complicaciones y molestias derivadas de la diabetes, mejorando la salud de los animales suplementados e incrementando su esperanza de vida. Presuponemos que dicha protección se obtuvo mediante la modulación de la microbiota gastrointestinal. En cualquier caso, nuestro estudio presenta ciertas limitaciones y se requiere de más estudios para esclarecer el tema. En segundo lugar, actualizamos el conocimiento sobre el papel de la microbiota gastrointestinal en la patogénesis de la diabetes tipo 1, otra forma de diabetes mellitus (Estudio 2). Se trata de un tema de suma importancia ya que la diabetes tipo 1 es una enfermedad incurable y existe una gran heterogeneidad en la respuesta de los pacientes frente a los tratamientos, lo que dificulta el desarrollo de tratamientos efectivos para la mayoría de enfermos. Para ello realizamos una revisión narrativa sobre las terapias emergentes para tratar la enfermedad. Particularmente, nos centramos en aquellas estrategias basadas en la inmunoterapia, y en una de las secciones del trabajo profundizamos sobre el papel de la microbiota como nuevo enfoque para tratar la enfermedad. Este estudio nos aportó una perspectiva más amplia para comprender mejor la implicación de los microorganismos intestinales en la diabetes mellitus. Además, nos permitió explorar las posibles estrategias terapéuticas para abordar la diabetes tipo 1 mediante cambios en la ecología microbiana intestinal, tanto a nivel estructural como funcional. Por último, con el objetivo de conocer mejor Probisan® y su comportamiento en el tiempo, quisimos evaluar los cambios que tienen lugar en el producto durante su almacenamiento (Estudio 3). Para analizar las propiedades fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas del producto a lo largo del tiempo realizamos un estudio de campo en el cual Probisan® estuvo expuesto a condiciones de almacenamiento simuladas durante su vida útil (1 año). Para ello se prepararon pequeños sacos con Probisan® (150 g de producto) que fueron almacenados en ocho condiciones diferentes [cuatro temperaturas de almacenamiento (-20 ºC, 4 ºC, 22 ºC and 37 ºC) y dos tipos de envasado (envasado normal y envasado al vacío)]. El pH, la humedad y los recuentos de bacterias totales, bacterias lácticas y levaduras fueron determinados en cada tiempo de muestreo (0, 1, 3, 6 y 12 meses de almacenamiento). Estábamos particularmente interesados en el estudio de la viabilidad microbiana ya que hipotetizamos que los microorganismos vivos podrían jugar un papel clave en los efectos beneficiosos de Probisan®. Al final del estudio pudimos concluir que la carga microbiana de Probisan® se ve afectada negativamente en todas las condiciones estudiadas, y que dicho efecto se intensifica con el tiempo. Nuestros resultados revelaron que, de acuerdo con nuestra hipótesis de partida, el almacenamiento a baja temperatura (-20 ºC y 4 ºC) protege mejor la viabilidad de los microorganismos en Probisan® en comparación con el almacenamiento a temperatura ambiente (22 ºC) o alta temperatura (37 ºC). Por otro lado, no encontramos diferencias importantes entre las dos formas de envasado en los parámetros de estudio, descartándose por tanto el envasado al vacío como posible estrategia para preservar la carga de microorganismos vivos en Probisan®. No obstante, futuros estudios podrían valorar otras formas alternativas de envasado. ; This thesis is based on three scientific publications. Firstly, we tested the effect of Probisan® on the Zucker Diabetic Fatty rat, an experimental animal model of type 2 diabetes, for 31 weeks (Study 1). At the end of the study we concluded that the administration of Probisan® in this animal model could not prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, however, it delayed the disease onset. In addition, we were able to confirm that Probisan® supplementation was favorable and alleviated complications and discomfort associated with diabetes, improving the health of the supplemented animals and increasing their life expectancy. We hypothesize that such protection was obtained through the modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiota. In any case, our study has certain limitations and more research is required to clarify this issue. Secondly, we update the knowledge on the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes, another form of diabetes mellitus (Study 2). It is an extremely important topic since type 1 diabetes is an incurable disease and there is great heterogeneity in the response of patients to treatments, making it difficult to develop effective treatments for most patients. To do this, we conducted a narrative review of emerging therapies to treat the disease. In particular, we focus on those strategies based on immunotherapy, and in a specific section we delve into the role of the microbiota as a new approach to treat the disease. This study gave us a broader perspective to better understand the involvement of gut microbes in diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, it allowed us to explore possible therapeutic strategies to address type 1 diabetes through changes in the intestinal microbial ecology, both structurally and functionally. Lastly, in order to better understand Probisan® and its behaviour over time, we aimed to evaluate the changes that take place in the product during its storage (Study 3). To analyse the physicochemical and microbiological properties of the product over time, we conducted a field study in which Probisan® was exposed to simulated storage conditions during its shelf life (1 year). For this, small sacks were prepared with Probisan® (150 g of product) that were stored in eight storage conditions [four storage temperatures (- 20 ºC, 4 ºC, and 37 ºC) and two types of packaging (normal packaging and vacuum packaging)]. The pH, moisture content, and counts of total bacteria, lactic bacteria, and yeast were determined at each sampling time (0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of storage). We were particularly interested in the study of microbial viability as we speculated that alive microorganisms could play a key role in the beneficial effects of Probisan®. At the end of the study we were able to conclude that the microbial load of Probisan® is negatively affected in all the conditions studied, and this effect intensifies over time. Our results revealed that, in good agreement with our starting hypothesis, storage at low temperature (- 20 ºC and 4 ºC) protects better the viability of microorganisms in Probisan® compared to storage at room temperature (22 ºC) or high temperature (37 ºC). On the other hand, we did not find substantial differences between the packaging modes in the measured parameters, and vacuum packaging was ruled out as a possible strategy to preserve the load of alive microorganisms in Probisan®. Notwithstanding, alternative packaging approaches remain to be investigated. ; The current Ph. D. dissertation has been carried out in the Laboratory of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Public University of Navarre, within the framework of the project entitle 'The role of synbiotics (Probisan®) in the prevention and development of diabetes and inflammatory bowel diseases in animal experimental models', granted from Advanced Innovation & Technology Corporation (ADItech Corp, Department of Economic Development, Navarre Government) [Reference: PT022 SIMDIACOL], and the study 'Optimization of Probisan®'s manufacturing process for its future use in diabetic patients as a nutritional supplement' (Navarre Government) [Reference: 0011-1365-2017-000127], within the project HEALTHSTOCK (Ref. 733627) funded by the European Union Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020. During the doctoral programme, Ms. Miriam Cabello Olmo received a research grant from the Navarre Government under the Industrial Ph. D. program 2017-2019 [Reference: 001114082016000011]. This financial assistance also included the economic support for national or international research internships, and allowed the Ph. D. candidate to enjoy three research stays. ; Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias de la Salud (RD 99/2011) ; Osasun Zientzietako Doktoretza Programa (ED 99/2011)

Using a cross-country data set on e-government systems, this paper analyzes whether e-filing of taxes and e-procurement adoption improves the capacity of governments to raise and spend resources through the lowering of tax compliance costs, improvement of public procurement competitiveness, and reduction of corruption. The paper finds that information and communications technology can help improve government capacity, but the impact of e-government varies by type of government activity and is stronger in more developed countries. Implementation of e-filing systems reduces tax compliance costs as measured by the number of tax payments, time required to prepare and pay taxes, likelihood and frequency of firms being visited by a tax official, perception of tax administration as an obstacle, and incidence of bribery. The effects of e-procurement are weaker, with the number of firms securing or attempting to secure a government contract increasing with e-procurement implementation only in countries with higher levels of development and better quality institutions. The paper finds no systematic relationship between e-procurement and bureaucratic corruption.

Regulatory frameworks on logistics regulations are often opaque, especially in developing countries, because of the complex nature of logistics services. World Bank client countries have faced difficulty finding the issues that hinder them from improving logistics competence. Therefore, it is beneficial to understand how the logistics service industry is regulated and what should be addressed in building the regulatory framework to improve logistics competence. This note proposes questions to be addressed for beneficial regulations by reviewing existing logistics service regulations in 14 countries, particularly regulations for the freight forwarding industry. These questions will help in assessing a regulatory framework and identifying regulatory weaknesses. This note suggests that the regulatory framework should take into consideration national recognition of freight forwarding business, an institutional arrangement with clear division of responsibility among stakeholders, and streamlined but flexible regulations adapted to the country context.

This policy note describes the state of transport and logistics in Georgia, carries out a needs assessment and identifies the main areas for improvements.The purpose of this policy note is to develop a common understanding between the Government of Georgia (GoG) and its partners of the institutional and physical challenges which face the transport and logistics sector, and of a strategy for meeting these challenges in the medium-term. The policy note identifies the key strategic directions and actions which will enable the sector to grow and improve. It intends to help the Bank and the development partners to engage with the GoG in dialogue on the critical bottlenecks and to provide the Government with advice based on the Bank's international experience. The strategic directions outlined in this policy note require institutional reforms. This is inevitably a long term process but one which will gradually improve Georgia's Logistics Performance Index ranking and its trade and competiveness.

Agglomeration economies are among the most important factors in increasing firm productivity. However, there is little evidence supportive of this in Africa. Using the firm registry database in Tanzania, this paper examines a new application of the logit approach with two empirical issues taken into account: spatial autocorrelation and endogeneity of infrastructure placement. The paper finds significant agglomeration economies. It is also found that firms are more likely to be located where local connectivity and access to markets are good. The paper finds that dealing with infrastructure endogeneity and spatial autocorrelation in the empirical model is important. According to the exogeneity test, infrastructure variables are likely endogenous. The spatial autoregressive term is significant. As expected, therefore, there are positive externalities of firm location choice around the neighboring areas.

The emergence of global value chains (GVCs) and their rapid expansion over the past two decades has transformed the global trade environment. GVCs involve task-based trade across multiple stages of the production process that take place across a number of different countries, in which multiple inputs and exports of intermediate goods and services are necessary to produce a final good, which may also be exported. GVC-oriented trade is seen to offer significant opportunities for developing countries, especially smaller ones, to benefit from global integration by changing the nature of competitiveness. With competition for GVC investment taking place in a truly global market, factor competitiveness relative to other countries matters a lot. In this context, the purpose of this note is to shed some light for policymakers, in this case specifically in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries, on where to focus efforts to drive competitiveness for GVC participation. This is a data-intensive exercise that requires indicators to represent underlying capabilities, disaggregated international trade data, and finally, a classification of which products are likely to be trade within GVCs.

This economy profile for Doing Business 2016 presents the 11 Doing Business indicators for Belarus. To allow for useful comparison, the profile also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator. Doing Business 2016 is the 13th edition in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business; for 2015 Belarus ranks 44. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 189 economies from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and over time. Doing Business sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 11 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and labor market regulation. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2015 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period from January to December 2014).

This report, produced within the framework of a 2011 agreement between the Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable, des Transports et du Logement (MEDDTL) and the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), provides an overview and economic and geologic outlooks of the global lithium market. It is in line with both the economic issues around the access of European and French companies to raw materials -whose prices have experienced a worrying global uptrend for a decade-, and less cyclically with the authorities' demand for information about current developments in the world of raw materials (thereby, the Committee for Strategic Metals-COMES during its inaugural thematic seminar in December 2012 had chosen lithium as the substance and this report had then provided a exchanges between participants). The report begins with a summary. After a presentation of the substance, the subject of a second section, it deals in turn with the state of current and future uses and global demand for lithium. The fourth section lays out the state of current and future global lithium supply. Supply issues are inseparable from the examination of lithium production sources and processes, resources and reserves as well as their spatial distribution, technical substitutions and recycling. In a fifth section, we examine lithium prices, their evolution and, for information, the financialization around this substance. A sixth section recaps the current and possible global and French industrial players in the production, recycling and use of lithium for the production of semi-final or final goods. In the seventh section, the data from the Ministry of the Economy and Finance concerning French international trade in lithium as well as semi-final or final lithium-based products are reproduced. Finally, on the basis of a survey by the Compagnie Européenne d'Intelligence Stratégique (CEIS) a qualitative assessment of the issue of criticality of the substance for the French economy is provided. Additional quantitative ...

This report, produced within the framework of a 2011 agreement between the Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable, des Transports et du Logement (MEDDTL) and the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), provides an overview and economic and geologic outlooks of the global lithium market. It is in line with both the economic issues around the access of European and French companies to raw materials -whose prices have experienced a worrying global uptrend for a decade-, and less cyclically with the authorities' demand for information about current developments in the world of raw materials (thereby, the Committee for Strategic Metals-COMES during its inaugural thematic seminar in December 2012 had chosen lithium as the substance and this report had then provided a exchanges between participants). The report begins with a summary. After a presentation of the substance, the subject of a second section, it deals in turn with the state of current and future uses and global demand for lithium. The fourth section lays out the state of current and future global lithium supply. Supply issues are inseparable from the examination of lithium production sources and processes, resources and reserves as well as their spatial distribution, technical substitutions and recycling. In a fifth section, we examine lithium prices, their evolution and, for information, the financialization around this substance. A sixth section recaps the current and possible global and French industrial players in the production, recycling and use of lithium for the production of semi-final or final goods. In the seventh section, the data from the Ministry of the Economy and Finance concerning French international trade in lithium as well as semi-final or final lithium-based products are reproduced. Finally, on the basis of a survey by the Compagnie Européenne d'Intelligence Stratégique (CEIS) a qualitative assessment of the issue of criticality of the substance for the French economy is provided. Additional quantitative ...

This report, produced within the framework of a 2011 agreement between the Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable, des Transports et du Logement (MEDDTL) and the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), provides an overview and economic and geologic outlooks of the global lithium market. It is in line with both the economic issues around the access of European and French companies to raw materials -whose prices have experienced a worrying global uptrend for a decade-, and less cyclically with the authorities' demand for information about current developments in the world of raw materials (thereby, the Committee for Strategic Metals-COMES during its inaugural thematic seminar in December 2012 had chosen lithium as the substance and this report had then provided a exchanges between participants). The report begins with a summary. After a presentation of the substance, the subject of a second section, it deals in turn with the state of current and future uses and global demand for lithium. The fourth section lays out the state of current and future global lithium supply. Supply issues are inseparable from the examination of lithium production sources and processes, resources and reserves as well as their spatial distribution, technical substitutions and recycling. In a fifth section, we examine lithium prices, their evolution and, for information, the financialization around this substance. A sixth section recaps the current and possible global and French industrial players in the production, recycling and use of lithium for the production of semi-final or final goods. In the seventh section, the data from the Ministry of the Economy and Finance concerning French international trade in lithium as well as semi-final or final lithium-based products are reproduced. Finally, on the basis of a survey by the Compagnie Européenne d'Intelligence Stratégique (CEIS) a qualitative assessment of the issue of criticality of the substance for the French economy is provided. Additional quantitative ...

Doing Business in Italy 2013 is a new subnational report of the Doing Business series. It measures business regulations and their enforcement across 4 indicators in 13 Italian cities: Bari (Apulia), Bologna (Emilia-Romagna), Cagliari (Sardinia), Campobasso (Molise), Catanzaro (Calabria), L'Aquila (Abruzzo), Milan (Lombardy), Naples (Campania), Padua (Veneto), Palermo (Sicily), Potenza (Basilicata), Rome (Latium), and Turin (Piedmont) and the indicator trading across borders in 7 ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Catania (Sicily), Genoa (Liguria), Gioia Tauro (Calabria), Naples (Campania), Taranto (Apulia), Trieste (Friuli-Venezia Giulia). The cities were selected by the Department for Planning and Coordination of Economic Policy (DIPE) of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic. The cities can be compared against each other, and with 185 economies worldwide. Doing Business investigates the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Regulations affecting 5 stages of the life of a business are measured at the subnational level in Italy: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, trading across borders and enforcing contracts. These indicators were selected because they cover areas of local jurisdiction or practice. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why. The data in Doing Business in Italy 2013 are current as of June 1st, 2012.