Abstract:

The Territorial Competitiveness Index in Heredia cantons is assessed in this paper using a weighted index including five basic components: economic-business, socio-demographic, infrastructure, local governance, and environmental. Results help identify competitive strengths and weaknesses of each canton, which provides valuable information to entrepreneurial investors in order to assess the permanence or opening of a productive activity in the territory and to local authorities in order to identify variables to improve.  The Territorial Competitiveness Index classifies cantons by the level of competitiveness associated and identifies the variables that explain such competitiveness and the location of SMEs.  Results are compared with other methodologies used in the country to measure socio-economic aspects, human, and local government development, allowing for a broad view of the particular competitive aspects related to each canton.

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