Enterprise, Technology and Finance (ETF) Research Group
The Enterprise, Technology and Finance (ETF) research group draws together researchers from IDPM, the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI), and the Economics disciplinary area of the School of Social Sciences.
Our research encompasses areas as diverse as macroeconomic policy, development finance, privatisation, competition and regulation, enterprise performance and competitiveness, technology policy and technological innovation, the private sector and development, and women, work and organization in the global economy and generally focuses on how the structural characteristics of developing economies, specifically in relation to the productive sector, have been changing in response to the multi-faceted forces of globalisation.
ETF members enjoy an international reputation in providing research, consultancy, and policy analysis to international and multilateral organisations, and are committed to promoting economic and social development, primarily within lower-income countries and for disadvantaged groups.
Current ETF research projects range from individual projects to the management of and participation in research networks focusing on economic and social upgrading in global production networks (DFID supported), the micro-foundations of pro-poor growth (ESRC supported), how states can be more effective in delivering to the poor (DFID supported), and global standards amongst 'rising power' nations (ESRC supported).
The success of the group's members in pursuing their research is attested to both in terms of published output and success in grant applications. Between them, ETF staff have published several articles in leading journals such as Journal of Development Studies, Oxford Development Studies and World Development, and have held, or currently hold, grants from a range of bodies, including The British Academy, DFID, ESRC and the Leverhulme Trust.
The ETF Group also regularly participates in, or organises public engagement activities: it hosted for example the Second Annual ESRC Development Economics Conference in 2010, looking at the effects of the financial crisis on developing countries, and a workshop on the determinants of competitiveness in developing countries in 2011.
The group welcomes applications for postgraduate research (PhD) on areas of pertinence to its research, and is characterised by a thriving research student community. Members of the group are also responsible for a number of postgraduate masters programmes relating to their areas of research.