LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR TBILISI ... - LED

Networking - the strength of inter-firm and public-private relationships between
companies, institutions and a government within the region and beyond. High networking
level can seriously boost economic activity within the region, fostering innovation and
enabling the establishment of strategic alliances. Networking can take place both on
informal (random encounters) and formal (conferences, industry associations meetings)
basis.
Institutional infrastructure - the existence and quality of services of various
institutions supporting business, such as research centers, health, education and
community services, companies dealing with finance, legal issues, marketing or
transportation are crucial for business climate in the region.
Legal regulations and policies - policies and programs supporting this kind of
activity and quality of services that public administration provides to the market. These
may include anti-trust law, regulations regarding conditions of entering the market, local
officials willingness to support the branch and such.
Transport and telecommunication accessibility - collecting information and being
able to act fast are becoming increasingly important elements in gaining competitive
advantage. That is why companies are interested in the availability of transportation
channels such as roads, airports, railways, along with telecommunication services –
internet, mobile telephony and such.
Technical infrastructure - the availability of space for doing business (from small
offices for the start-ups and SMEs to greenfield investment land for multinationals),
electricity supply and the presence of basic urban infrastructure such as piped services
(water, sewers) are among the basic elements necessary for businesses to develop.
2.2. Assessment of Tbilisi competitiveness
The competitiveness of Tbilisi was assessed in two aspects:
• its competitiveness in relation to other Georgian cities,
• its competitiveness in relation to other cities in the region of Caucasus and central
Asia.
The assessments were carried out by means of the SWOT method, which is usually
applied by the SRGG when evaluating the competitiveness of cities.
Tbilisi in the country
In order to assess the economic situation of Georgian cities during the workshop session
of the City Team the guests from other Georgian cities evaluated current economic
changes in their environment. They took into consideration the condition of both traditional
and emerging economic sectors, demographic changes and the workforce educational
improvement, the level of technical and urban infrastructure.
The assessments were performed with Tbilisi city team and the guests from Rustavi,
Batumi and Kutaisi
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