Technology foresight and industrial strategy
Carlo Pietrobelli , University Roma Tre, UNU-MERIT
When Technology Foresight (TF) began to be adopted in industrial countries, it tended to be still somewhat a marginal activity in developing countries. Today globalisation radically transformed the range of economic activities that developing countries can perform. Production is fragmented and organised along global value chains.
Dense flows of knowledge and technology are available, but need to be fully employed in the framework of coherent industrial strategies.
This paper examines how and to which extent TF programs are needed in developing countries given the new prevailing global context. It argues that the TF and industrial strategy are and must be mutually consistent and they need to be taken seriously, coherently designed and implemented in light of their role to shape and economic
growth.We provide preliminary support to this argument by discussing the theoretical foundations and justification of TF and industrial strategy, and then reviewing some relevant examples from Brazil, Chile and South Korea.
About the speaker
Carlo Pietrobelli is a professor and policy advisor on innovation and industrial development and policy.
He is currently Professor of Economics at University Roma Tre, Italy, Professorial Fellow at UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.. During 2009-2016 was a Lead Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, where he led the preparation of development loans in Latin America and the Caribbean on innovation and industrial policies, and on cluster and value chains programs, small and medium-sized enterprises and local economic development.
His research interests range from development economics to innovation, trade and industry in developing countries. He has published widely in international journals and his last books were published by Harvard University Press, Edward Elgar, Palgrave and Routledge. His latest books are on The Impact Evaluation of Cluster Development Programs: Methods and Practices (IDB, 2016, https://publications.iadb.org/handle/11319/7605), and on Firm Innovation and Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Engine of Economic Development (Palgrave, 2016, http://www.firmsinlatinamerica.com).
He was Deputy Rector for promoting links between the University and the private sector and Head of Industrial Liaison Office of the University Roma Tre. He holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and has been a regular policy advisor to governments in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Venue: UNU-MERIT, Room 0.17
Date: 23 June 2017
Time: 12:00 - 13:00 CET
