As CEO of the LightOn fiber optic cable company, you have been asked to assess the feasibility of producing, marketing, and installing your extensive line of communication cables in a global marketplace. Which place in the world would provide a competitive marketplace and an opportunity to extend your product and grow your company? What economic forces should you consider before you make a commitment to move workers, machinery, and a large financial investment to another location?

One measure of possible success is to assess the competitiveness of the country or region to which you are considering moving. Competitiveness is measured in terms of productivity, magnitude and rate of change in value added (per unit) achieved by firms, and in specific economic indicators which can be country-specific, firm-specific, or industry-specific.