¿Dividendos digitales o dependencia? La política industrial en la era de las economías digitales

The paper examines the evolution of industrial policy from physical factories to digital platforms, using Kenya as a primary case study. It argues that while Kenya has successfully integrated into global digital supply chains—becoming a major exporter of digital labor—it suffers from 'industrial thinness' because it lacks control over the data and algorithms that drive value. The authors contend that without robust data governance, labor protections, and regional cooperation, digitalization in low- and middle-income countries risks replicating extractive resource patterns. They advocate for a coordinated approach linking trade, labor, and industrial policies to ensure a 'just transition' and national value capture.

• Industrial policy has transitioned from a focus on manufacturing capacity and trade management to the governance of digital infrastructures, where value is increasingly intangible and organized via platforms and algorithms.
• Kenya has established itself as a significant exporter of digital labor, with approximately 1.9 million people engaged in digital work by 2025, including 1.2 million platform gig workers, representing about 1% of the global online labor supply.
• Despite its digital growth, Kenya experiences 'industrial thinness,' characterized by a service-rich economy that lacks control over the foreign-owned data infrastructures and algorithms that organize its production.
• Low- and middle-income countries often occupy low-value segments of digital supply chains, providing raw data and labor while intellectual property and analysis benefits are concentrated elsewhere, mirroring historical resource extraction patterns.
• Digital labor in Kenya, particularly content moderation and gig work, is marked by precarious conditions including psychological trauma, algorithmic surveillance, unstable incomes, and gender pay gaps.
• National reforms are insufficient to address digital asymmetries; coordinated regional and multilateral actions, such as the AfCFTA Digital Protocol and ILO standards, are essential to ensure data sovereignty and decent work.

APA

Cerri, K., & Mexi, M. (n.d.). ¿Dividendos digitales o dependencia? La política industrial en la era de las economías digitales. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency

Chicago

Cerri, Kitrhona, and Maria Mexi. ¿Dividendos digitales o dependencia? La política industrial en la era de las economías digitales. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cerri |first1=Kitrhona |last2=Mexi |first2=Maria |title=¿Dividendos digitales o dependencia? La política industrial en la era de las economías digitales |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cerrinddividendos, author = {Cerri, Kitrhona and Mexi, Maria}, title = {{¿Dividendos digitales o dependencia? La política industrial en la era de las economías digitales}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }