Felipe Silveira Marques

The Return of Industrial Policy in Brazil

Up to the 1970s, Brazil implemented an industrial policy aimed at substituting imports that was consensually acknowledged for being active and strong.1 Such activeness was the result of the broadness and depth with which the Brazilian state was willing to intervene in markets, taking on a leading allocating role in the economy. The strength of the industrial policy at that time stemmed from the meeting of three essential conditions to boost it: (i) co-existence with a favorable macroeconomic environment; (ii) intensive use of classic instruments (tariff barriers, financial and fiscal incentives for prioritized sectors in two National Development Plans); and (iii) use of stateowned companies (some existing since the 1950s, some created in the 1970s).

Apropriação tecnológica na economia do conhecimento: inovação e propriedade intelectual de software na América Latina

Technology appropriation in knowledge economy: innovation and intellectual property in Latin American software industry Intellectual property rights aim at providing incentives for innovation, but can also constitute a burden for technological diffusion. This article discusses the conflicts arising from software patent protection, an area in which the assets are intangible and replicable at almost no cost. Current practices of intellectual property (IP) protection in Latin America are discussed based on their efficiency in stimulating information technologies innovation and diffusion. The methodology adopted includes the analysis of regional software industry development, firms? strategies to protect IP, legislation and the examination of software patents submission at the Brazilian IP Office (INPI). It concludes that harmonizing conflicting interests among existing and new business models and international agreements is a major task that goes beyond pure technical considerations.

Financing Development: The Case of BNDES

The 2009–11 period revealed Brazil’s capacity to stay on the growth path, which had characterized the national economic performance from 2005 up to the first hint of damaging effects of the international financial crisis on the country in the second half of 2008. Not only was it possible for the country, by means of incisive anti-cyclical initiatives, to diminish the severity of the crisis, but the government’s determination and the array of instruments available were also reinforced to prioritize the long-term nature and maintain the growth of investment ahead of GDP. In fact, the proportion of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) in GDP rose from 17.4 percent in 2007 to 19.3 percent in 2011, despite the fall posted at the end of 2009. From the perspective of sustainable development, however, this level is clearly insufficient. It is essential to further raise the rate of investment in Brazil, without which it will be difficult to maintain the recent growth trajectory and to strengthen the competitiveness of Brazilian firms.