In this keynote speech at the 2011 meeting of the Italian Association for Industrial Economics and Policy (SIEPI) in Rome, a basic framework to the study of competitiveness was presented together with the main findings of a recent publication on Sectoral Growth Drivers. Members of SIEPI worried about the lack of productivity growth and diminishing competitiveness in Italy over the past years. In reply, a framework is presented, which emphasises the different meaning and drivers of competitiveness, if studied at the firm, sector or macroeconomic level, while at the same time demonstrating the strong interlinkages between these layers.