Export Potential without Export Readiness: A Capability-Based Assessment of Seaweed Producers in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh has substantial ecological potential for seaweed cultivation, yet the commercial capabilities required for sustained export participation remain underdeveloped. This study develops the Seaweed Export Readiness Index (ERI) as a five-domain diagnostic index comprising export market orientation, blue technology adoption, operational export readiness, dynamic capabilities and institutional support. The analysis draws on a purposive, cross-sectional, self-report survey of 375 seaweed producers from Cox’s Bazar and the southwestern coast, administered through a structured KoboToolbox questionnaire. The mean ERI was 19.02 on a 0 to 100 scale, with 61.1 per cent of respondents located in the lowest descriptive readiness band and none in the two highest bands. Export market orientation and operational export readiness recorded the lowest domain scores, indicating pronounced weaknesses in market intelligence and practical export systems. Blue technology adoption and dynamic capabilities showed the strongest bivariate associations with perceived export potential. The composite ERI was also strongly associated with perceived export potential (r=0.773), although this relationship is interpreted cautiously because both measures were obtained from the same questionnaire at a single point in time. Cox’s Bazar recorded higher readiness scores than the southwestern coast, but the comparison is descriptive because the sample was not regionally balanced. Overall, the findings provide a producer-level diagnostic profile of capability constraints and identify priority areas for capability development without claiming causal inference or independent validation of export readiness.