Development Studies

In recent years it has become evident that Africa is growing faster than any other continent. However, Danish companies have not been able to exploit these new opportunities, and export rates lag behind their European counterparts. Danish midsized companies especially are trailing behind in Africa. The project “From Næstved to Nairobi” aims to create sustainable and scalable solutions for Danish mid-sized companies that will enable them to overcome the particular challenges of exporting to Africa. The project will contribute to enhance the long-term competitiveness of Danish mid-sized companies operating in Africa, stimulate economic growth and create employment.

Michael W. Hansen
mwh.msc@cbs.dk

The overall objective of the “Multi-stakeholder Initiatives for Sustainable Cotton Production in the Textile Value Chains of Pakistan and India” project is to analyze how multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) for sustainable cotton production are drawn up, implemented and monitored in the cotton value chains of South Asia. The project also seeks to explore whether the processes through which MSIs are institutionalized in South Asia make any difference to the income, work and environmental conditions of cotton farmers and on farm workers in this region. The project is funded by the Danish Social Science Research Council.

Peter Lund-Thomsen
pl.msc@cbs.dk

As part of the Successful African Firms and Institutional Change (SAFIC) project, CBS hosted the SAFIC 2016 Conference on new perspectives on developing country and emerging markets firms. The conference brought together researchers presenting findings in key areas such as strategies for developing country firms, institutional environments, R&D and innovative behavior, capabilities of local firms, global value chains for food, and key institutional drivers and barriers to private to private sector development. The SAFIC project is a collaboration between CBS, Roskilde University, University of Nairobi, University of Dar-es-Salaam and University of Zambia.

Søren Jeppesen
sj.msc@cbs.dk

Centre for Business and Development Studies (CBDS) Associate Professor, Lotte Thomsen is currently exploring how a number of Vietnamese clothing producers use the knowledge they have gained from working in global clothing value chains to move into the retail sector. The project is focused on the local and regional market and is based on fieldwork conducted on site in Vietnam.

Lotte Thomsen
lt.msc@cbs.dk

The abolition of EU milk quotas in 2015 will lead to an explosion in EU milk production and will demand new markets. EU dairy enterprises are planning to target the West African market, which will pressure the local producers further. The overall goal of the project is to prepare small dairy farmers in Niger, Mali, and Senegal to cope with the effects of a liberalized dairy market. To make this happen the project will focus on documenting the consequences of a liberalized dairy market to secure a dialogue based on facts and at the same time try to mobilize the African dairies to make sure they have a political voice.

Esben Rahbek
ergp.msc@cbs.dk

The Centre for Business and Development Studies (CBDS) opened on 1 January 2005. CBDS is a multi-disciplinary centre that combines business economics and management disciplines with other disciplines within social sciences in order to study both intra-firm issues (the organization, the capabilities and the strategies of companies and organizations operating in developing countries), inter-firm issues (collaboration and competition between companies, which are active in developing countries) and the relations of developing country firms with their broader economic, social, environmental and cultural environments within the developing country and in relation to the global economy. CBDS works within the following three areas: Research on: Firm strategies in developing countries, BRIC countries and beyond. firm-level research on value chains, subsidiary mandates and management. entrepreneurship, CSR, and development and global value chains Teaching within: Business and Development Studies master/minor programme and other CBS education programmes Capacity building by: Partnering with Danida and other development organisations and engaging in capacity building of universities in developing countries. The CBDS has the ambition of being a leading research institution for the study of business and development in developing countries and emerging markets.

Centre Director Michael Wendelboe Hansen
mwh.msc@cbs.dk