Search Results (23)

This study investigates the gendered implications of Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under CPEC 2.0, focusing on risks and opportunities for women in the country’s green industrial transition. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines secondary research with multi-stakeholder consultations, including engagement with SEZ authorities, Chinese investors, and women’s professional networks, the paper examines how legal ambiguity, defeminization, and occupational segregation restrict women’s participation and mobility in SEZs. Drawing on global comparative evidence and Pakistan’s specific legal and institutional gaps, the paper argues that SEZs can support gender-equitable industrialization if reforms are integrated into their design and governance. It recommends introducing mandatory gender equity plans in zone licensing, providing targeted skills training for women in high-tech sectors, operationalizing Pakistan’s National Gender Policy Framework within SEZ development, and embedding the Zone Social Responsibility (ZSR) framework across all SEZs to ensure long-term inclusion and empowerment. Full article

Pakistan’s solar boom, now contributing 25% of its utility electricity, the highest among major countries, presents a strategic opportunity to localize solar supply chains within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This study investigates pathways for enabling solar localization, identifies key barriers to local manufacturing, and assesses the potential for domestic value chain development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, combining policy analysis, stakeholder consultations, and feasibility analysis, the study outlines an implementation strategy centered on leveraging SEZs and promoting technology transfer. Results indicate that if Pakistan succeeds in localizing even half of its solar imports, it could reduce import dependency and switching to solar energy could potentially save over $5 billion over two decades. This shift would not only enhance energy security but also enhance sustainable industrial development under CPEC 2.0. Full article

This study examines the impact of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth in South and Southeast Asia from 2006 to 2022, using a comprehensive panel dataset and multiple econometric techniques. The baseline estimation employs Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), with robustness checks using Fixed Effects with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimator, and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS). The results consistently show that FDI and Gross Capital Formation (GCF) significantly promote growth, while the Human Capital Index (HCI), Trade Openness (TO), and Inflation (I) have limited or adverse effects. Government spending (GS) is negatively associated with growth, suggesting inefficiencies in public resource allocation. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing absorptive capacity through investments in education, institutional quality, and trade facilitation. Policy recommendations include adopting performance-based budgeting and independent audits, drawing on Malaysia’s anti-corruption and audit reforms. To address the weak impact of human capital, this study advocates for expanding public–private partnerships in technical and vocational education, modelled on Singapore’s SkillsFuture initiative. Additionally, digital investment platforms like Indonesia’s Online Single Submission (OSS) system and infrastructure upgrades are recommended to reduce trade costs and improve the investment climate. Finally, the study calls for deeper regional integration through harmonized investment regulations under the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) and the development of cross-border special economic zones (SEZs). These recommendations are grounded in empirical evidence and tailored to the region’s structural characteristics, offering actionable insights for policy-makers. Full article

Stormwater drainage from urbanised areas has gained importance due to progressing land surface sealing and climate change. More frequent extreme rainfall events lead to overloaded drainage systems and flash floods, particularly in industrial zones experiencing rapid development. The study analysed the sewage system operation in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Lower Silesia, Poland to assess the impact of climate-induced rainfall changes. Three rainfall scenarios were used: model rainfall using historic rainfall intensities, model rainfall using actual intensities, and real precipitation recorded in June 2022. Findings indicate that climate change has negatively affected the stormwater drainage system, resulting in increased overloads and flooding. Particularly, the II scenario showed a significant rise in rainwater inflow to retention reservoirs by 53.1% for ZR-1 and 44.5% for ZR-2 (compared to the I scenario). To address these issues, adaptations are needed for increased rainwater flows, including additional retention facilities, blue–green infrastructure, or rainwater harvesting for the SEZ needs. Full article

This paper explores the effects of the cessation of forest commodity exports and the implementation of an industrialization strategy in Gabon, drawing on traditional theories of regional growth. The creation of the Nkok Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 2012, accompanied by its strategic location and significant infrastructure investments, illustrates the application of Rosenstein-Rodan’s “Big Push” and Douglass-North’s “export base” theories. These initiatives also led to a polarization process consistent with the work of Perroux and other theorists of unbalanced regional growth. The study assesses the impact of this SEZ on regions external to the SEZ and the macroenvironment during the period 2014–2022. It highlights the industrial and commercial mechanisms that promote agglomeration economies, technological diffusion, the creation of economic connections, and the structuring into “core-periphery” zones, in accordance with the concepts of Hirschman. The results show a strong positive correlation between industrial income, exports (excluding raw materials), and industrial production. However, the ban on the export of wood raw materials led to a negative relationship between industrial income and exports of these products. Furthermore, the local processing of forest products has promoted industrial diversification, generated new products, and gradually increased added value. The process of economic and geographical polarization is described as a transitional phase of imbalances whose long-term implications require in-depth studies, particularly in the context of countries in the South and underdeveloped environments. Full article

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are instrumental in promoting industrialisation and economic growth in many countries, especially within the developing world. While various SEZs established in South Africa are expected to drive local economic development processes, their performance has been erratic due to various governance, regulatory, and infrastructure issues. This study explores the core leadership competencies required to enhance the success of SEZs. It emphasises the importance of continuous learning and unlearning outdated practices. The paper draws on Peter Senge’s Continuous Learning Theory to explain how SEZ leaders could adapt to dynamic environments and provide sustainable growth. The study addresses two key research questions: (1) What leadership competencies are necessary to efficiently govern SEZs? (2) How do continuous learning and unlearning by SEZ leaders make a difference in inducing sustainable growth? This systematic review applied the PRISMA methodology to source the data from databases like Google Scholar and Scopus, among others, for sources published between 2010 and 2024. Findings revealed that the core leadership competencies required for effective SEZs include innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking. This paper argues that continuous learning is imperative for leaders to keep pace with the complexity of shifting global economic circuits while unlearning is critical to avoid common pitfalls. This study contributes to the literature by recommending that leadership development inside SEZs be more contributory toward economic outcomes and encourages further research into what part leadership will play in regional economic development. Full article

Dynamic development of tourism activities and rapid urbanisation in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) can lead to significant land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) and environmental degradation, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas. This study examines the transformation of land use and its associated impacts on habitat quality and thermal environment in Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam) over a 20-year period (2003–2023). Using multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery and random forest classification, we quantify LULCCs and assess the environmental consequences of urban expansion on habitat degradation and intensification of the island’s thermal environment, focusing on land surface temperature (LST) changes. Our analysis reveals that rapid urbanisation, driven by large-scale tourism and infrastructure developments, has led to a significant loss of forest and farmland, leading to a 5.6% decline in habitat quality and a marked increase in LST. The study also highlights the uneven distribution of urban growth, with the majority of expansion occurring in the southern and central regions of the island. By applying the InVEST Habitat Quality Model, we identify key zones of habitat degradation and offer insights into the spatial patterns of environmental sensitivity and changes. Our findings underscore the need for integrated land use planning and sustainable development strategies to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of SEZ-driven urbanisation on island ecosystems. This research provides critical guidance for policymakers, planners, and environmental managers to balance economic growth with environmental conservation in fragile island environments. Full article

The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in northwest Laos exemplifies an experimental governance model, where sovereign powers are partially privatized to drive economic development. Established in 2007 through a 99-year concession with the Kings Romans Group (KRG), a Chinese gaming company, the GTSEZ is integral to Laos’s strategy of leveraging Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for modernization. This paper examines the complex dynamics between the Lao state and non-state actors within the GTSEZ, highlighting its fragmented yet pragmatic statecraft. Drawing on extensive fieldwork from 2014 to 2018, the study examines the GTSEZ’s historical connections to the opium trade and its contemporary socio-political and economic roles. The zone’s creation has generated both enthusiasm and criticism, particularly concerning sovereignty, local impacts, and controversial activities. The paper also discusses the broader implications of SEZs in Laos’s nation-building efforts, and the GTSEZ’s balance of economic openness with regulatory oversight, enhancing the understanding of experimental governance in Southeast Asia. Full article

The article aims to identify the firm-level effects of public support within the Polish Investment Zone (PIZ) on firms’ employment located in lagging regions of Poland, signalling insights into sustainable employment creation. Utilising a difference-in-differences framework and accounting for controls, including the firms’ size, age, leverage, other public aid programmes, subsidies, and firm-level fixed effects, our objective is to ascertain the average treatment effects (ATEs) of the programme, particularly concerning the creation of additional workplaces. To ensure the reliability of our findings, we conducted robustness checks utilising alternative econometric approaches and scrutinise changes in the duration of both the pre- and post-treatment periods. No significant ATEs were observed in the year of the treatment or in one to three years following treatment. This outcome remains robust to variations in the econometric approach, the set of variables considered, and alterations in the length of both pre- and post-treatment periods. This article contributes to an ongoing discussion marked by a lack of consensus regarding the effectiveness of special economic zones in fostering sustainable employment and reducing unemployment rates by presenting the effects of the PIZ and directing policy attention towards more qualitative aspects of created workplaces, fostering sustainable employment. Full article

This study examines the effect of investment promotion through the special economic zone (SEZ) mechanism on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow across Cambodia. We applied generalized methods of moments (GMM) to panel data constructed from 19 Cambodian provinces during 2015–2019. Our results show that the number of SEZs positively affects both FDI inflow and diversification across the country, while capital invested in developing SEZs increases only the latter. Other SEZ variables, including the presence of SEZ, its intensity, and the age of the first established SEZ in a province, are mostly found to be positively associated with FDI and diversified FDI but not notably significant. Supportably, the existence of SEZ is confirmed to be significant by the t-test method, meaning that the SEZ province can attract more FDI than the non-SEZ one. Some provincial efforts and characteristics, including annual government expenditure, number of public relations, population density, population 18 years old and up, deep-sea ports, and international gates, likely significantly influence FDI inflow into the provinces of Cambodia. All in all, the SEZ mechanism attracts more diversified foreign investment activities, and it has a significant effect on the distribution of FDI in Cambodia. Full article

Although the special economic zones (SEZs) are considered the backbone of rapid economic development in China, it is unclear whether they contribute to green economic development. From the perspective of the localized industrial chains formed as a result of the SEZ policy, this paper aims to analyze and explain how the development of SEZs influences carbon emissions in Chinese cities by promoting green technologies’ vertical spillover along the industrial chain. Based on the panel data of 264 prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2016 and a relatively new and mostly disaggregated city-level MRIO (multi-region input–output) table in China, this paper constructs green technology vertical spillover as a mechanism variable and discusses the influence theoretically and empirically. The results show that the development of SEZs can reduce a city’s carbon emissions. More specifically, for every 10 m² increase in the size of the SEZ area, the carbon dioxide emission can be reduced by 0.882 g per m² of the city area. Moreover, mechanism analysis shows that the development of SEZs promotes green technology vertical spillover inside the city, through which the SEZs reduce the city’s carbon emissions. The mediation effect occupies 21.96% of the total effect. Furthermore, the impact of the development of SEZs on carbon emissions has regional heterogeneity due to the city’s industry structure, green technology stocks, and the zones’ administrative hierarchies. The finding of this study could provide several important implications for regional green development, especially in China. Full article

This paper evaluates the effects of a place-based program in the Yangtze Delta of China—Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Taking into account spatial proximity, this paper quantifies the spillover effects of the human capital in SEZs. One major finding is that regional productivity benefits from the human capital in SEZs. The spillover effects are not only confined to their own counties, but also neighboring counties. SEZs contribute more to the regional productivity of neighboring counties than the one of the hosting county itself. Moreover, positive spillover effects of the human capital in SEZs still hold for the growth of regional productivity. Full article

China’s special economic zones have been hailed as a flagship of her policy on ‘opening up’ to the outside world, as well as the China-led global Belt and Road Initiative. In this paper, we conceptualize the internationalization of Chinese SEZs, and frame the genealogy and underpinning dynamics of China’s international SEZs, both domestically and overseas. The paper critically probes the underlying logics of three parallel international developments of Chinese SEZs: (1) capital-oriented land expansion in the form of international SEZs combining both ‘bring in’ and ‘going out’, especially since BRI; (2) different industrial landscapes at various timelines and sites; (3) variegated transnational SEZs governance, bilateral central governments governance, marketized state or entrepreneurship state, or private ventures. We contribute to the SEZ land literature by delivering a novel framework which encompasses variegated internationalization trends among China’s vast domestic and overseas SEZs. These internationalization trajectories in turn contour and entrench global variegated capitalism. Full article

This is the first survey conducted in China on the holding of cryptocurrencies. Although cryptocurrencies have existed in the world for more than a decade, because the exchange of cryptocurrencies is banned in China, there is no guidance on the holding of cryptocurrencies in China’s accounting standards. Moreover, although the exchange of cryptocurrencies is prohibited by the Chinese government, holdings of cryptocurrencies by Chinese entities and individuals cannot be prevented. Thus, we conducted a survey in investors’ attitudes towards cryptocurrencies in Xiamen City, a special economic zone (SEZ) and a pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in China. The survey respondents commonly defined cryptocurrencies as investments (45%), inventories (19%), and intangible assets (36%). A total of 84% of respondents stated that the value of a cryptocurrency should be represented by a fair value. These results are similar to those obtained in a survey by The Digital Assets Accounting Consortium (DAAC), but different to the tentative agenda decision of the International Financial Reporting Standards Interpretations Committee (IFRSIC). Additionally, 65% of respondents stated that they prefer to accept cryptocurrencies as cash equivalent currencies, and these cash equivalent currencies were considered to have two main functions: a medium of exchange (56%) and a monetary unit for pricing goods and services (52%). Full article

Special economic zones (SEZs) are important in Laos due to their ability to attract foreign investment, realize industrialization, and promote economic globalization. Based on Laos’ SEZs in operation, this study explored land-use intensity, structural evolution and land-use efficiency in Laos’ SEZs via the land-use dynamic degree, information entropy, super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) and gray relational analysis (GRA). The study determined that the total land-use area in Laos’ SEZs continuously increased from 2014 to 2020. The land-use intensity changes in the SEZs can be divided into three types, i.e., high intensity, medium intensity and low intensity, and most SEZs belonged to the medium-intensity type. The proportion of land used in production systems in Laos’ SEZs increased the most, and the proportion of infrastructure land notably decreased. The overall information entropy of the land-use structure exhibited an initial downward and then an upward trend. In 2018, the land-use efficiency in the Savan-Seno SEZ, Vientiane Industrial and Trade Area, Dongphosy SEZ, and Golden Triangle SEZ was relatively optimal. The basic factors of the industrial space and the factors reflecting international cooperation attributes were highly related to the land-use efficiency in Laos’ SEZs. Full article