Repensar la Política Industrial para la Economía de Servicios

This research paper by Pierre Sauvé argues for the modernization of industrial policy to center on the services economy. The author contends that while current industrial policies remain rooted in 20th-century manufacturing paradigms, services now drive global innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, acting as essential inputs for all economic sectors.

• Services have become the primary drivers of global innovation and productivity, representing approximately two-thirds of the world's GDP and employing the majority of workers.
• Traditional industrial policy frameworks are ill-suited for the services sector because they rely on tools like tariffs and local content requirements designed for tangible goods, whereas services require regulatory reforms, digital infrastructure, and capacity development.
• Intermediate services—those incorporated into the production of other goods and services—are significantly more valuable than final services, with their trade value being approximately two and a half times higher.
• An effective industrial policy for services should be built upon five pillars: infrastructure (energy, broadband, transport, payments), investment and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), human capital and capabilities, regulatory quality, and physical and digital connectivity.
• For developing economies, a service-led industrial strategy offers structural advantages over manufacturing, including lower capital intensity, smaller minimum scale for global competitiveness, higher potential for inclusive employment, and a lower environmental carbon footprint.
• Governments have more policy flexibility in the services sector than in manufacturing because the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is more flexible and less restrictive regarding tariffs and subsidies than the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
• Digital industrialization, exemplified by India's public investments in digital identity, payment systems, and e-governance, is creating new ecosystems for fintech and IT, a model currently being pursued across Africa through "digital moonshot" initiatives.

APA

Sauvé, P. (n.d.). Repensar la Política Industrial para la Economía de Servicios. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy

Chicago

Sauvé, Pierre. Repensar la Política Industrial para la Economía de Servicios. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sauvé |first1=Pierre |title=Repensar la Política Industrial para la Economía de Servicios |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sauvndrepensar, author = {Sauvé, Pierre}, title = {{Repensar la Política Industrial para la Economía de Servicios}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/rethinking-industrial-policy-services-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }