This applies especially to sophisticated ICTs, which are fundamental for digitalised industrial production and can help smaller firms to rapidly scale up. 16. We support policies that enable SMEs to take full advantage of emerging technologies, to bridge the digital divide and facilitate their effective and meaningful access to digital platforms, as this will help enhance their competiveness in an increasingly digitally connected world, facilitate their further integration into global value chains and support job creation. 17. We support policies taken by governments and the private sector to reduce the investment gap, strengthen digital infrastructure and promote connectivity for SMEs including outside of well-connected metropolitan areas, increase the adoption of emerging technologies, enhance security and trust in the digital economy, share best practices, for example through competence centres or digital innovation hubs, as well as enable SMEs to empower their workforce through the upgrading of leadership, management and digital literacy skills, and to invest in the necessary complementary knowledge-based assets. High-tech start-up ecosystems and collaborative innovation 18. The overall success of SMEs in embracing the opportunities brought about by the Next Production Revolution also depends on a sufficiently dynamic business environment, where innovative digital start-ups can grow and achieve scale. Amongst SMEs, start-ups and young businesses (i.e. firms of 5 years old or less) contribute disproportionally to job creation8. They are also nurturing the development and diffusion of innovations, opening new markets and paving the way for new business models. 19. We recognise the role our governments can play in addressing barriers to firm entry and growth, and impediments to the restructuring or exiting of poorly performing firms. Ensuring business dynamism will help in reducing the widening productivity gap between frontier firms and laggards, also contributing to more cohesive and inclusive societies. We will work towards supporting developing and emerging countries in adopting and using digital technologies and Internet-based entrepreneurship. 8 Calvino, F., C. Criscuolo and C. Menon (2016), “No Country for Young Firms?: Start-up Dynamics and National Policies”, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 29, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5jm22p40c8mw-en G7 ICT and Industry Ministerial Meeting 2017│ MAKING THE NEXT PRODUCTION REVOLUTION INCLUSIVE, OPEN AND SECURE 6