Este libro tiene como objetivo analizar la evolución de la estructura productiva en algunas de las grandes economías latinoamericanas e identificar políticas e instrumentos que permitan a las empresas mejorar sus capacidades tecnológicas y fortalecer las relaciones empresariales e institucionales. En este contexto se analizan las políticas de competencia para el desarrollo productivo y las referidas a promover el surgimiento de nuevas industrias a través de políticas sectoriales. Estos temas se desarrollan en tres secciones: 1] Dinámica y especialización productiva, 2] Redes, instituciones y aprendizaje y 3] Políticas industriales y tecnológicas.

Los elementos que hacen posible el desarrollo de una sociedad en la actualidad son, entre otros, la presencia de un fuerte estado de derecho, el respeto al medio ambiente y la administración sensata de los recursos naturales, la existencia de un sistema educativo de calidad y adaptado a las demandas de un mundo cambiante, además de una economía abierta y competitiva. No hace falta decir que en todo país se debe dedicarse activamente al mejoramiento de tales elementos. Lo anterior es especialmente cierto en el contexto de un mundo globalizado, donde las sociedades se enfrentan a desafíos que se transforman rápidamente y que adquieren cada vez una mayor complejidad.

First published in 1993. Latin America is undergoing a process of profound economic and social change. The industrial import substitution that continued for several decades was quantitatively successful in terms of industrialization but - like inward-oriented industrialization in the socialist countries - failed to raise the economies of the region to international productivity levels. The attempt at catch-up industrialization outside the reference frame of the world market led to economic stagnation, social crises, serious environmental degradation and the obstruction of social development. The following papers included in this book, show that the development of competitive advantages is initially determined by the new macro policy and by modernization at enterprise level.

Beginning with volume 41 (1979), the University of Texas Press became the publisher of the Handbook of Latin American Studies, the most comprehensive annual bibliography in the field. Compiled by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress and annotated by a corps of more than 130 specialists in various disciplines, the Handbook alternates from year to year between social sciences and humanities. The Handbook annotates works on Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and the Guianas, Spanish South America, and Brazil, as well as materials covering Latin America as a whole. Most of the subsections are preceded by introductory essays that serve as biannual evaluations of the literature and research under way in specialized areas. The Handbook of Latin American Studies is the oldest continuing reference work in the field. Katherine D. McCann is acting editor for this volume. The subject categories for Volume 57 are as follows: Electronic Resources for the Social Sciences Anthropology Economics Geography Government and Politics International Relations Sociology

Press clippings from major American, European and Latin American newspapers.