Harnessing Technology in Bangladesh’s Manufacturing Industries: Driving Innovation for Lasting Impact

This book explores how a late-industrialising nation can navigate the transformative shift of Industry 4.0.Drawing on rigorous empirical research and original analysis, it examines Bangladesh’s current technological landscape in manufacturing, the drivers and barriers to technology adoption, and the critical policy imperatives needed to boost productivity, innovation, and sustainable industrial growth. Despite being a major apparel exporter and an emerging player in pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh remains trapped in low-tech manufacturing.This book investigates how the country can escape the low-productivity spiral by embracing digitalisation and advanced technologies.Employing firm-level data from the World Bank and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the authors use quasi-experimental techniques, including Propensity Score Matching and Regression Discontinuity Design, to evaluate the relationships among technology use, firm performance, labour productivity, and export outcomes. This boo