The fundamental determinant of the competitiveness of a nation is the productivity of the companies acting in its economy. In the age of globalization, countries compete not only for markets, technology, skills and investments, but also for raising their standards of living. The national prosperity is highly affected by competitiveness, defined as the productivity with which a nation uses its resources. The objectives of our paper are to analyze the concept of national competitivenes and to outline the importance of competitiveness in today’s uncertain world. In this respect, we consider competitiveness as a multifaceted concept including both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The objectives of our paper were achieved by reviewing the literature, and by presenting the case of Romania.