On 24-25 August 2017, the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) with the support of the Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance, the Tbilisi State University, and the Italian Embassy in Tbilisi (Georgia) are organizing a Workshop on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The objective is to bring together researchers active in the field and to create an opportunity to generate discussion and interaction between local academics and policymakers and international researchers.

The tradition – and, in most cases, the only way – for Georgian entrepreneurs to finance their businesses and ideas is bank lending, so-called debt financing. However, this source of financing is very limited for start-ups and early-stage businesses, due to the high level of risk involved, the unavailability of collateral assets, and high loan interest rates, which are almost unaffordable for companies that do not generate sufficient returns yet.

The proposed project aims at strengthening entrepreneurial education and training in formal TVET system in Georgia. The project will address well-documented gaps (see ISET’s 2016 report) in the delivery of entrepreneurial training by TVET institutions.

Private Sector Development Policy Research Center is leading a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Draft Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs.

In developed countries like Korea and Australia, employment in the agricultural sector is gaining more and more popularity, however, moving back to the countryside in developing nations remains associated with poverty, inefficiency, and lack of progress.