In the era of economic globalization, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as an engine of sustainable economic development in both the developed and developing world. In literature, three competitive challenges-the sustainability challenge, the global challenge and the technological challenge-faced by industrial entities in the current globalized economy, are categorized. Of them, this paper undertakes a systemic review of the literature covering the theme of SMEs and technology in order to identify how technological progress in the SMEs, correlates with SMEs survival improvement in the global competition. The review identified six driving forces-social capital, link with Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) and Transnational Corporations (TNCs), innovation, sharing and networking, information technology, and adoption of productivity-enhancing technology-influencing technological upgrade in the SMEs. The review also identified two conditions for successful technological adaptation in the SME sector-availability of technologically skillful workforce in the economy, and identification of opportunities of new technologies in the competition. These conditions could be viewed in the macro environment and emphasize the need for the economies' readiness towards SMEs' success.

Economic globalization has created many challenges for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to the rapid increase in competition. Therefore, the downfall rate of SMEs is relatively high, a short period after their commencement. Accordingly, SMEs need to adopt survival strategies and strategic methods to succeed in confronting the various global challenges faced by the SME sector. This study critically examined the existing literature on global challenges for SMEs to understand the SMEs’ survival and successive mechanisms in the present competitive business background. Published information related to the field by the multilateral institutions and 110 research papers published by four recognized publishing companies, i.e., Emerald, Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, and MDPI, were chosen for this study. The review revealed the critical global challenges for SMEs within the context of economic globalization. They are the global market competition, global finance and economic crises, information communication technology, the emergence of multi-national corporations, transnational corporations, consumer changes and especially their preferences, trade dumping, international terrorism, and religious conflicts and trade wars. Furthermore, the study considered the survival strategies of SMEs in the industrial platform to recognize sustainability-related policies, specifically, the necessity for a robust theoretical examination on the survival strategies of SMEs in the field of global challenges.

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Economic globalization has rapidly intensified the competition among businesses. Therefore, it is pivotal that SMEs follow competitive strategic positions and adopt strategic methods in order to confront the various challenges in this era. This study assessed the factors that determine the competitive strategic position of SMEs in the developing nations of Asia by considering the agro-based SMEs in Sri Lanka as a case study. By using primary data of 463 SMEs, the study estimated a binary logistic regression model to deal with the research subject. The findings revealed seven significant strategic variables: innovation in product and marketing, business exhibition in the local setting, gender, strategic market location, sustainable business practices, marketing efficiency, and business reputation and superior services. Moreover, the study identified and commented on seven insignificant variables: specialization in production, experience in the business field, experience in attending business exhibitions at overseas setting, credit market accessibility, provision of high-quality products, research and development, and strategic firm location, which are relevant in developed countries. Therefore, the government and policymakers must initiate measures to establish a more favorable business environment for SMEs to gain competitive advantage from these variables in the near future to permit an ameliorated and strong SME sector in Sri Lanka.

Objectives Despite been in a positive pathway to achieve maternal and child healthcare targets in sustainable development goals, maternal nutrition is a leading public health problem in Sri Lanka. We studied the economic status, pregnancy expenditure and nutritional status of the pregnant mother to explore these associations. Methods The study was carried out in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. Consecutive pregnant women registered in the public health clinics and who was in the 1st trimester of pregnancy were recruited as a part of a large cohort study. Detail evaluation of household income, expenditure and pregnancy costs were assessed together with anthropometric measurements. Results The mean age of the pregnant women (n = 750) was 28.3 years (SD 5.7) and 84.6% of them have not engaged in any income-generating activities. Among the employed group, the majority (58.6%) were in the government sector. Of the 750 pregnant women, 17.3% were underweight (BMI < 18.5). The average household income of the underweight group (USD 237.56) was significantly lower (t = −2.718, P = 0.007) than the others (USD 311.59). There was a significant difference in monthly food cost between underweight and normal mothers (t = −1.774, P = 0.076). The average cost for food of underweight and normal mothers was USD 53.33 (SD 40.07) and USD 60.05 (SD 39.13). In addition, the pregnancy cost of underweight mothers as a fraction of the money available for food was 23.05%. Conclusions Despite having significantly low income and low resources for food, the additional burden of pregnancy cost may be leading to a vicious cycle of undernutrition. More details and context-specific approaches are required to combat nutrition in pregnancy. Funding Sources Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD), World Bank.