Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Patrick Plane

Author

Patrick Plane
Director of Research, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Patrck Plane is Director of Research at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) affiliated with CERDI, a joint research unit of the CNRS and the University of Clermont Auvergne of which he was director between 2001 and 2013. Patrick Plane is a regular collaborator of the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI) and was for 6 years, between 2010 and 2016, a member of the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP). His research interests are diverse, relating to micro and macroeconomic development issues, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Patrick Plane is the author of several books and around fifty articles in academic journals. Until now, his research has mainly been devoted to industrial economics, the analysis of public-private partnerships and the diagnosis of competitiveness at the level of companies and nations.

Content by this Author

Exchange rate undervaluation: the impact on participation in world trade

Can currency undervaluation influence participation in world trade through global value chains (GVC)? This column reports new evidence on the positive impact of an undervalued real exchange rate on the involvement of a country’s firms in GVCs. Undervaluation acts as an economy-wide industrial policy, supporting the competitiveness of national exports in foreign markets vis-à-vis those of other countries.

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Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.

Shifting gears: how the private sector can be an engine of growth in MENA

Businesses are a key source of productivity growth, innovation and jobs. But in the Middle East and North Africa, the private sector is not dynamic and the region has a long history of low growth. This column summarises a new report explaining how a brighter future for MENA’s private sector is within reach if governments rethink their role and firms harness talent effectively.




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