Robotics in solid waste handling: From science fiction to reality

It is currently estimated that approximately 55% of the world population lives in urban centers (World Bank, 2020). This is partly caused by phenomena such as the migration of people from rural areas toward cities. A direct consequence of this situation is the increase in solid waste (SW) generation. In 2018, the World Bank stated […]

Wealth and inequality gradientsfor the detection and control ofhypertension in older individualsin middle-income economiesaround 2007-2015

Socioeconomic inequalities in the detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases represent a challenge for healthcare systems in middle-income countries (MICs) in the context of population ageing. This challenge is particularly pressing regarding hypertension due to its increasing prevalence among older individuals in MICs, especially among those with lower socioeconomic status (SES). Using comparative data for […]

Productivity gaps atformal and informalmicrofirms

Although evidence of a productivity gap between formal and informal firms has been observed, this ‘‘formality premium” has been less explored for microfirms. The informality of microfirms is a central concern in low- and middle-income countries, leading to a crucial demand for designing economic policies addressing this issue. We fill this void by estimating a […]

Income inequality andself-rated health statusin Colombia

Background: The negative association between income inequality and health has been known in the literature as the Income Inequality Hypothesis (IIH). Despite the multiple studies examining the validity of this hypothesis, evidence is still inconclusive, and the debate remains unsolved. In addition, relatively few studies have focused their attention on developing or emerging economies, where […]

Financial inclusion and business practices of microbusiness in Colombia

Financial inclusion is known to be relevant for improving the growth perspectives of microbusinesses. This research has three aims. First, to explore how adopting business practices can impact the usage of financial products and services of these firms. Second, to determine if higher levels of microbusinesses’ formalization mediate the impact. Third, to establish if there […]

Corruption and Firms

We estimate the causal real economic effects of a randomized anti-corruption crackdown on local governments in Brazil using rich micro-data on corruption and firms. After anti-corruption audits,municipalities experience an increase in the number of firms concentrated in sectors most dependent ongovernment relationships and public procurement. Through the estimation of geographic spillovers andadditional tests, we show […]

Informe Estudio Nacional de Emprendimiento a Tenderos, segunda ronda

La Alianza EFI en el marco del proyecto “Emprendimiento, desarrollo de capacidades empresariales e inclusión productiva” tiene como objetivo evaluar el impacto de la formación en capital gerencial e inclusión financiera a través de medios digitales, analizar los factores que determinan la informalidad empresarial y el papel de la acumulación de capital social, gerencial y generacional […]