As políticas industriais como estratégia de desenvolvimento: uma análise do município de Pelotas-RS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze industry as an issue on the government agenda of the municipality of Pelotas as a development strategy. The focus of the analysis is centered on both a historical dimension and on capturing the perceptions of local actors, such as political and business leaders and representatives of the municipality, on the topic today. The theoretical and analytical questions about the development and industry of Pelotas come from the literature on public policies and regional development in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which demonstrate the disparity between regions of the state with regard to economic and industrial development. The data resulting from the interviews, and the data related to the political and economic history of Pelotas that supply the research, were analyzed through the theoretical lens of Kingdon's Multiple Streams (2011). The results indicate the lack of an industrial policy agenda in Pelotas, that there is no space for discussion or political actors that address the topic today, or in the historical period analyzed, since there was no confluence between the streams of public problems, public policy solutions and institutional policy support. The stakeholders' opinions are diverse regarding the alternatives for the city's development, but they agree on the importance of industry for the local economy. Based on the research, it was concluded that there is a need to establish spaces and debates about the industrial policy agenda in Pelotas, therefore an intervention proposal was created to facilitate this discussion.