Competitive strategies in fashion industries: portuguese footwear industry

Portugal is an important player in the European fashion industry. The Portuguese footwear industry, “low-tech” and traditional industry, dominated by SMEs and located in two main clusters, is a success case in the Portuguese economy. After a long period of decline until 2009, the footwear companies prepared new strategies that made big changes in the image and performance achieved. Since 2009, exports have increased more than 55% and the Portuguese footwear has grown in almost all the most important foreign markets. The competitive strategies followed by the Portuguese footwear companies are different and they can be clearly identified according Porter’s three generic competitive strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategy. This paper had analysed seven Portuguese footwear companies (seven cases, case study strategy) and the results obtained shows how important is to have the right approach to the markets, according the internal and external resources that each firm has available. The footwear clusters in Portugal and the sectorial organizations are also very important in this competitive performance achieved by the companies. Last years the Portuguese government recognize this increasing importance of the fashion industries and prepared several programs to promote these industries in Europe and other continents.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Financing equitable access to antiretroviral treatment in South Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>While South Africa spends approximately 7.4% of GDP on healthcare, only 43% of these funds are spent in the public system, which is tasked with the provision of care to the majority of the population including a large proportion of those in need of antiretroviral treatment (ART). South Africa is currently debating the introduction of a National Health Insurance (NHI) system. Because such a universal health system could mean increased public healthcare funding and improved access to human resources, it could improve the sustainability of ART provision. This paper considers the minimum resources that would be required to achieve the proposed universal health system and contrasts these with the costs of scaled up access to ART between 2010 and 2020.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The costs of ART and universal coverage (UC) are assessed through multiplying unit costs, utilization and estimates of the population in need during each year of the planning cycle. Costs are from the provider’s perspective reflected in real 2007 prices.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The annual costs of providing ART increase from US$1 billion in 2010 to US$3.6 billion in 2020. If increases in funding to public healthcare only keep pace with projected real GDP growth, then close to 30% of these resources would be required for ART by 2020. However, an increase in the public healthcare resource envelope from 3.2% to 5%-6% of GDP would be sufficient to finance both ART and other services under a universal system (if based on a largely public sector model) and the annual costs of ART would not exceed 15% of the universal health system budget.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Responding to the HIV-epidemic is one of the many challenges currently facing South Africa. Whether this response becomes a “resource for democracy” or whether it undermines social cohesiveness within poor communities and between rich and poor communities will be partially determined by the steps that are taken during the next ten years. While the introduction of a universal system will be complex, it could generate a health system responsive to the needs of all South Africans.</p

La Ventaja Competitiva de Euskadi. Fase I: Identificación del Potencial de Competitividad

El principal objetivo económico de Euskadi para los próximos años es la consecución de un elevado y creciente nivel de vida para sus ciudadanos. El logro de este objetivo se enfrenta con importantes retos. Euskadi está perdiendo sus tradicionales ventajas competitivas en los mercados internacionales. Si se quiere detener ese proceso de declive es imprescindible actuar, desarrollando una nueva base de ventajas más especializadas y sosteníbles. El presente trabajo trata de identificar los motores fundamentales de dicha competitividad, y los resultados del mismo servirán para desarrollar, en una segunda fase, los planes de acción necesarios para conseguir el objetivo de mayor prosperidad

La Ventaja Competitiva de Euskadi. Fase I: Identificación del Potencial de Competitividad

El principal objetivo económico de Euskadi para los próximos años es la consecución de un elevado y creciente nivel de vida para sus ciudadanos. El logro de este objetivo se enfrenta con importantes retos. Euskadi está perdiendo sus tradicionales ventajas competitivas en los mercados internacionales. Si se quiere detener ese proceso de declive es imprescindible actuar, desarrollando una nueva base de ventajas más especializadas y sosteníbles. El presente trabajo trata de identificar los motores fundamentales de dicha competitividad, y los resultados del mismo servirán para desarrollar, en una segunda fase, los planes de acción necesarios para conseguir el objetivo de mayor prosperidad