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Foreign Direct Investment in the Western Balkans: What Role Has it Played During Transition?

Author

Listed:
  • Saul Estrin

    (Department of Management, London School of Economics)

  • Milica Uvalic

    (Department of Economics, University of Perugia)

Abstract

The paper explores the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the economies of the Western Balkans during their transition to a market system. The paper recalls the political and historical circumstances that have delayed transition in the Western Balkans economies, and draws attention to the specific features of FDI that have influenced their economic development. The main hypotheses are formulated and basic tests performed on data from the manufacturing sector. However, data limitations mean that we can only test for horizontal, rather than vertical, spillovers and in practice we are not able to identify many significant horizontal spillover effects. This finding can probably be explained by various factors – institutional, economic and political – that have constrained FDI effects in the Western Balkan economies in comparison with the Central East European countries. Our work has important policy implications; in order to accelerate economic development, Western Balkan policymakers may need to implement more effective economic policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Saul Estrin & Milica Uvalic, 2016. "Foreign Direct Investment in the Western Balkans: What Role Has it Played During Transition?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 58(3), pages 455-483, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:58:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1057_ces.2016.10
    DOI: 10.1057/ces.2016.10
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    Cited by:

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    2. Oltiana Muharremi, 2020. "Discussion: Challenges and Recent Developments of Foreign Direct Investments in Albania and Western Balkan Countries," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(4), pages 96-111.
    3. Vigan Disha & Besnik Fetai, 2024. "Foreign Direct Investment and International Trade in the Western Balkans-6 Countries: An Empirical Analysis," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 1, pages 103-110.
    4. Ivana Durovic, 2017. "The effects of intercompany lending on the current account balances of selected economies in the Western Balkans," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 41(4), pages 421-441.
    5. Naijela Janaina Costa Silveira & Diogo Ferraz & Eduardo Polloni‐Silva & Diego Scarpa de Mello & Fernanda Pereira Sartori Falguera & Herick Fernando Moralles, 2022. "Modeling the building blocks of country‐level absorptive capacity: Comparing developed and emergent economies," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(3), pages 783-824, July.
    6. Luca J. Uberti, 2020. "Bribes, Rents and Industrial Firm Performance in Albania and Kosovo," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 62(2), pages 263-302, June.
    7. Milica Uvalić & Božidar Cerović† & Jasna Atanasijević, 2020. "The Serbian Economy Ten Years After The Global Economic Crisis," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 65(225), pages 33-72, April – J.
    8. Enika Abazi, 2021. "Geopolitics in the Western Balkans: linkages, leverages and gatekeepers," Academicus International Scientific Journal, Entrepreneurship Training Center Albania, issue 24, pages 85-108, July.
    9. Nebojsa Stojcic & Zoran Aralica, 2017. "Choosing Right from Wrong: Industrial Policy and (De)industrialization in Central and Eastern Europe," Working Papers 1703, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb.
    10. Peter Howard-Jones & Jens Hölscher, 2020. "The Influence Of The Washington Consensus Programme On The Transitional Economies Of Eastern Europe – A Firm-Level Analysis," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 65(226), pages 9-44, July – Se.
    11. Krasniqi, Besnik & Ahmetbasić, Jasmina & Bartlett, Will, 2022. "Foreign direct investment and backward spillovers in the Western Balkans: the context, opportunities and barriers to the development of regional supply chains," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115391, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Özcan Karahan & Olcay Çolak, 2021. "Foreign Direct Investment and Productivity Growth in Eastern European Countries," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 14(3), pages 26-34, December.

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