Reestruturação setorial e capacitação tecnologica na industria siderurgica brasileira

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2004

RESUMO

The objective of this dissertation is to identify and evaluate the actual stage of technological capability in the Brazilian steel industry in order to examine the implications of restructuring the sector regarding the movements of privatization, concentration of capital and productive internationalization that occurred in the decade of the 90s to the technological learning processes of the steel firms. The diagnosis of technological capabilities of Brazilian steel industry include the relationship of the technological capability with dynamic elements of its transformation, especially corporative strategies in the ambient of restructuring the sector in the 90s. Although they possessed a strong heterogeneity in the national industrial estate as state owned entities, Brazilian steel firms engaged in processes of technological learning rich in the strictly productive dimension (translated in concrete operation of equipment) as well as in some cases in the fruition of efforts for building technological capability for innovation. Given the vigor of changes that this industry was subjected to in the 90s, it became evident that the sector’s restructuring affected the technological capabilities of Brazilian steel firms. The examination of technological capabilities of Brazilian steel firms during the period antecedent to restructuring the sector and of the present moment suggests that there occurred a rationalization of technological internal activities undertaken concomitantly with a favorable evolution of operational capabilities of these companies. Although there were diverse situations in the overall group of companies, there was no generalized retraction of endogenous technological effort in the ambient of the sector’s restructuring. In general, the scope of internal technological activities was maintained, especially in companies that already had formal structures of research and development and/or practice in systematic technological efforts. Research data suggests that in the redefinition of corporative strategies there occurred losses of innovative capabilities in some producers of special steels, the producing segment that had ample participation in the denationalization movement during the second half of the decade of the 90s, and in companies, when they were made private enterprises, possessing structures of research and development at the stage of consolidation. On the other hand, the conversion to private enterprise was associated to improving the financial position of Brazilian steel companies, creating conditions for recuperating investments and favoring the operational capability of Brazilian steel industry as a whole, whether as a means to acquire state-of-the-art equipment or by establishing contracts for technology transfers and technology cooperation with headquarters and other steel companies.

ASSUNTO(S)

capacitação tecnologica integração economica internacional industria siderurgica

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