Institutions and industrial policies and technology: Reflections from the Brazilian experience

Abstract

On the basis of Brazilian institutions and policies for industry and technology, and taking as reference some successful international experiences, this paper investigates the reasons why, even when they are well formulated, industrial and technology policies face serious implementation problems in countries that are trying to catch up with the leading industrial economies. The results show that most of the problems are related to the "aging" of institutions, which are locked into old practices of policy-making, and also to the weakening of their political and financial position vis-à-vis macroeconomic policy institutions. The paper suggests the need of an institutional reform, although recognizing that such reform faces difficult technical and above all political obstacles.