About Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice (FCI GP)
The World Bank Group’s Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice (FCI) combines expertise in the financial sector with expertise in private sector development to foster private-sector led growth and help create markets in client countries.
Through this work, FCI strengthens the World Bank Group’s evolving approach to development finance: to maximize finance for development and to leverage private sector investments for sustainable and inclusive growth.
Globally, FCI leads the institution’s dialogue on financial sector policies and private sector development, as well as engagement with various standard-setting bodies, such as the G20, Financial Stability Board, the UN, etc.
Within countries, FCI works with governments to create an enabling environment where financial stability, access to finance and risk management provide a foundation to crowd-in private sector investment, create capital markets, and accelerate equitable growth.
At the same time, the practice is focused on identifying firm- and industry-level constraints to deliver reforms which can drive growth and accelerate job creation (including access to finance, innovation, special economic zones, industry solutions, entrepreneurship, etc.). Boosting firm-level efficiency and productivity centers on adopting better technologies, including digital ones.
FCI comprises close to 800 staff working across more than 120 countries.
The Practice focuses on six thematic areas:
- Financial Stability & Integrity (ensuring countries’ financial systems are stable, sound and transparent)
- Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure & Access (strengthening market infrastructures, and ensuring households and firms have access to financial services)
- Firm Capabilities & Innovation (creating the enabling environment for businesses to be competitive, efficient and cutting-edge)
- Long-Term Finance (helping countries deepen and diversify their financial sectors, facilitating long term finance through capital markets, and strengthening the role of institutional investors)
- Climate & Risk Management (supporting countries to become more resilient and able to mitigate the impact of natural disasters combining financial and insurance tools)
