ABSTRACT
This paper, written as a keynote speech, is divided in two parts. The first part reviews the literature on industrial clustering focusing on policy implications. It argues that the theoretical complexity, which renders the subject difficult to formalize, and the want of empirical work do not authorize simplistic arguments pro or against policy interventions. For these reasons, policy implications are not yet fully explored in the literature. The second part of the paper suggests a research agenda for studying industrial clusters in Brazil, including the production of statistical evidence, empirical work and case studies as bases for designing policy guidelines.
KEYWORDS:
Industrial clustering; industrial policy; economic geography; firm location