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Patterns of technological intensity in Brazilian industry: A comparative study with developed countries
André Tosi Furtado
Departamento de Política Científica e Tecnológica, Instituto de Geociências, UNICAMP (University of Campinas), São Paulo, Brazil
Ruy de Quadros Carvalhoc
Departamento de Política Científica e Tecnológica, Instituto de Geociências, UNICAMP (University of Campinas), São Paulo, Brazil
Abstract
The present work aims to demonstrate that Brazilian industries display levels of efforts in technology that differ from those encountered in developed countries. In order to define these levels we have adopted indicators of technological intensity (expenditure in R&D/added value), of the structure of spending in R&D and of the human resources allocated to each industry. We have compared these indicators to those of other developed countries where similar statistics are available.
The data regarding expenditure and human resources in Brazil, when compared to that of developed countries, has displayed considerable structural differences in the sectoral levels of technology intensity. These differences have been attributed to the fact that Brazil is a relatively closed market economy, with a low level of technological specialization in the high or medium-high technology industries, and except in the case of the aeronautics industry, that relies on the external flow of technology.
To explain the differentiated levels that Brazil presents among its different industries, we have made use of four key factors: technology tacitness; supply's local content; the presence of foreign firms; and, the government policies adopted. Due to these differences, the present study proposes a classification of industries based on R&D intensity which, when applied to Brazil's specific case, differs from classification defined by OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
Keywords
industrial survey, technological intensity, sectoral patterns, international comparisons
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(Translator's note: Titles and information contained in parentheses are merely for informative purposes and do not represent the official title of any translated version of any original piece of work.)
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