Creación y aglomeración de empresas como fundamento para el desarrolo

ROCHA, H.

Conferencia; Third Cooperation meeting of ECODAR; 2005

This presentation reviews the theoretical arguments and empirical evidence in Latin America (LA), Argentina, and Germany related to the impact of entrepreneurship and clusters on development and growth at the firm, regional, and national levels. LA countries face right now the alternative to adopt an entrepreneurial-cluster led strategy to foster development at the firm, regional and national levels. In effect, after the state-led import substitution strategy between 1950 and 1970 and the macro-economic liberalisation reforms and market-led strategies between 1980 and 2000, local development policies based on private-public partnership with emphasis on entrepreneurship as well as micro-economic rather than macro-economic reforms appear as the most appealing strategies. Using a sample of 21 empirical studies and a total of 146 clusters in LA, the total population of clusters in Argentina and the total population of clusters in Germany, this study concludes that entrepreneurship and clusters contribute to both development and growth, but they are a potential source of socio-economic divides, especially in Latin-American countries. Also, comparing LA with Germany, this study concludes that necessity entrepreneurship and emergent clusters are two features of LA countries that should not overlooked when proposing development policies based on the creation and agglomeration of firms in LA countries. Exclusive focus on economic growth and clusters of transnational corporations without consider governance mechanisms, LA specificities, and coordination between local and national policies will both hinder growth in the long run and increase existing disparities in LA countries.