Index for Entrepreneurial Finance Access gives ScanBalt countries high ranking

The Milken Institute, an independent US economic think tank, has prepared (October, 2005) a Capital Access Report to evaluate the ability of new and existing businesses to access capital in countries around the world. This is important because the ability of businesses to access capital is crucial for successful entrepreneurship.

With regard to the ScanBalt Bioregion, there is a high representation of ScanBalt countries in the ranking. Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland all enjoy a position within the top 10 countries (out of 121 which have been rated). Most of the ScanBalt countries have shown an increase in their Capital Access Index.

The ranking methodology is now seven years old and is based on a variety of variables including macroeconomic environment, institutional environment, equity market development and alternative sources of capital.

The report can be viewed here.

The key findings of the report show that the US and Western Europe account for 90% of the regional share of global securitisation with recent activities in Asia, Latin American and Eastern Europe being important for future expansion and economic growth.