Measuring and mapping the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises at the district level: evidence from Moldova

Most enterprises in Moldova are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, to improve the efficiency of regional development in Moldova, develop a strategy for sustainable economic growth, and identify problem areas and potential growth points, it is necessary to assess the competitiveness of SMEs by district in the country. In Moldova, there is no single comprehensive system for evaluating the competitiveness of SMEs. Therefore, the novelty of this study lies in developing an SME competitiveness index, which can be used for district-level assessments and assessments by type of activity. The developed index can be used to assess the effectiveness of state programs, regional development strategies, or those aimed at developing SMEs. The primary methods employed in this study are normalization and the construction of a composite index. The results obtained showed that SMEs by districts are not developing stably. In 2023, the most competitive SMEs were located in the Chisinau municipality and the adjacent districts of Straseni and Ialoveni. In contrast, in 2019, enterprises from the Briceni and Cimislia districts were in the lead.