The assessment of linkages between foreign direct investment (FDI) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Slovak Republic is a joint report produced by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), led by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, and the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs (DAF), led by Carmine Di Noia. The report was prepared under the aegis of the OECD Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurship (CSMEE) and the OECD Investment Committee (IC).
The report was prepared in close collaboration with a Slovak inter‑ministerial taskforce created for the purpose of this assessment. It also benefited from consultations with the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the OECD Regional Development Policy Committee. It is the second output of a multi-year OECD project conducted with EC support to develop policy recommendations on how national and subnational governments can strengthen FDI-SME linkages and increase the potential for productivity and innovation spillovers to local economies.
Sandrine Kergroach, Head of SME and Entrepreneurship Performance, Policy and Mainstreaming (CFE), and Martin Wermelinger, Head of Investment Qualities and Incentives (DAF), coordinated the overall project and supervised the assessment of the Slovak Republic. Céline Kauffmann Head of Entrepreneurship, SME and Tourism Division (CFE), and Ana Novik and Stephen Thomsen, respectively Head and Deputy Head of Investment Division (DAF) provided guidance.
Chapter 1 on “Scope of FDI spillovers on SMEs: Conceptual framework” is abridged from Strengthening FDI-SME ecosystems and spillovers. A Policy Toolkit that synthesises the findings of Phase I of the project.
Chapters 2, on “Enabling conditions for FDI and SME spillovers in the Slovak Republic”, and 3, on “FDI diffusion at play for Slovak SMEs” were prepared by Chiara Petroli (CFE).
Chapters 4, on “The institutional and governance framework for FDI-SME diffusion”, and, 5, on “The policy mix for FDI-SME diffusion” were prepared by Stratos Kamenis (DAF).
Chapter 6 on “Regional focus: Banská Bystrica and Košice” was prepared by Sandrine Kergroach and Chiara Petroli (CFE). Thanks are due to Alison Hunter (consultant) for her valuable input and José Enrique Garcilazo (CFE) for specific comments on this chapter.
Stratos Kamenis (DAF) coordinated consultations and cooperation with the Slovak taskforce and relevant national and regional institutions, as well as the policy surveys that were conducted in preparation of this assessment.
Robert Akam and Pamela Duffin (DAF), and Shayne Maclachlan and Pilar Philip (CFE) helped prepare the report for publication. Heather Mortimer Charoy (CFE) and Angèle N’Zinga (DAF) provided project and administrative assistance.