Abstract
The main focus of the report is on the dynamic processes of productivity growth, wealth creation and social advance in Sub-Saharan Africa, analyzed in the context of the internationally-agreed development goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration and the national poverty-reduction strategies.

The report analyzes forward-looking approaches to industrial development that take advantage of environmentally-sound and advanced technologies. It argues that since Sub-Saharan African policy makers must face taxing development challenges while building up social and technological capabilities, it is crucial for the international community to help them meet their capacity-building needs, including those related to trade.

The second part of the report updates and expands the Industrial Development Scoreboard, extending and improving its scope in terms of country coverage and timespan. The Scoreboard provides a global overview of industrial competitiveness in all its diversity, and assesses the main factors affecting it.