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

This research paper by Kitrhona Cerri and Maria Mexi examines the evolution of industrial policy in the digital age, using Kenya as a primary case study. The authors argue that traditional industrial policy, once focused on factories and physical goods, must now shift toward the governance of digital infrastructures, algorithms, and data to avoid reproducing structural dependencies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

• Industrial policy has shifted from promoting specific sectors and physical manufacturing to the governance of digital infrastructures. In the digital economy, competitiveness is driven by the ability to coordinate via digital infrastructure and convert data into national innovation, making data governance a central pillar of industrial policy.
• Kenya has integrated significantly into the global digital services market, with approximately 1.9 million people engaged in digital work by 2025, including 1.2 million temporary platform workers. The country represents about 1% of the global online labor supply, earning it the nickname "Silicon Savannah."
• Despite its digital growth, Kenya experiences "industrial thinness," where it provides essential data and labor for the global AI and digital economy but lacks control over the infrastructure. Most locally generated data is stored and monetized abroad, creating an informative dependency similar to historical resource extraction patterns.
• The digital transition in Kenya has introduced significant labor vulnerabilities. Content moderators at Sama in Nairobi have reported psychological trauma and unpredictable wages, while gig workers face algorithmic surveillance, gender pay gaps, and a lack of social protection.
• National reforms alone are insufficient to address the structural asymmetries of the global digital economy because platform architectures often bypass national oversight. Consequently, coordinated regional and multilateral action is essential to ensure data sovereignty and fair labor standards.
• Regional frameworks, such as the Digital Protocol of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the East African Community (EAC) Digital Trade Protocol, provide opportunities to harmonize data governance and avoid a regulatory "race to the bottom."

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} }