Abstract
The objective of this article is to analyse the regional and technological dynamics of manufacturing in Brazil in recent period, examining both the changes in productive structure and in manufacturing characteristics in Brazilian five macro-regions (North, Northeast, Centre-West, Southeast and South). Considering the recent debate on this issue, we examine the changes related to the importance and technological characteristics of manufacturing at each region, highlighting the technological intensity, expenditures on innovative activities and introduction of innovations. The outcomes highlight two tendencies: i) the decline of manufacturing in the regional productive structures; ii) the maintenance of manufacturing regional devolution, a slow process that does not modify substantially the interregional profile, marked by a predominance of Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) intensive activities in region Southeast. We try to evaluate the meaning of these changes relating to Brazilian economic development process.
Keywords:
Manufacturing; Productive structure; Regional development