Russian Manufacturing Revisited: Industrial Enterprises at the Start of the Crisis

The paper is based on the findings of a major project by the Higher School of Economics Institute for Industrial and Market Studies (IIMS) to monitor competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises. The study focuses on the drivers and dynamics of business competitiveness, including changes in firms’ behavior during the period before the crisis (2005-2008). The primary issue was to find out what firms and to what extent succeeded in capitalizing on the strong economic growth before the crisis to catch up with their competitors and gain a sustainable competitive position in the market. What was driving output increases and enhanced production efficiency? What were the impediments to this process