Recent publications selected by our library that provide more information on the issues covered in this INTAL Connection.

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Millennial Beats: Generation Y in the Age of Integration 4.0 (link in Spanish)

 

Summary: The Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL), part of the Integration and Trade Sector (INT) at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has published a study entitled “Millennial Beats: Generation Y in the Age of Integration 4.0” as part of its Integrology platform, which looks at the future of work and regional integration in the age of robots, seeks to generate advanced knowledge, and provides resources and tools to help better understand how automation will impact production and trade. Based on a quanti/qualitative research project, it explores how young Argentinians view education and the international situation, and their consumer habits, expectations, and employment situations, as this is the generation that will be most affected—be it positively or negatively—by the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the short- and medium-term. More than anyone else, they need to be prepared for the changes ahead: they were born into the digital age and their transition into adulthood has coincided with the rise of robotization, 3D and 4D printing, artificial intelligence, and hyperconnectivity. The results of this study indicate that Argentinian millennials are largely cautious about the transformations that have come with Revolution 4.0, with the exception of a group of young people from the highest socioeconomic sector who live in the City of Buenos Aires and are mostly younger males.

 


1

World energy scenarios 2016 : the grand transition

 

Summary: The report “World energy scenarios 2016: the grand transition” presents three exploratory scenarios – modern jazz, unfinished symphony, and hard rock. These provide users with a common language for thinking and talking about current events. They provide energy leaders with an open, transparent, and inclusive framework to think about a very uncertain future, and thus assist in the shaping of the choices they make. The study has developed three realistic scenario stories using an explorative approach rather than the more commonly used normative, methodology. The three scenarios developed are modern jazz, which represents a ‘digitally disrupted’, innovative, and market-driven world; unfinished symphony, a world in which more ‘intelligent’ and sustainable economic growth models emerge as the world drives to a low carbon future; and a more fragmented scenario called hard rock, which explores the consequences of weaker and unsustainable economic growth with inward-looking policies.

 


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Chinese FDI in Latin America: new trends with global implications

Summary: China’s global influence is on the rise. In Latin America, Chinese firms are not only increasing their investment, but rapidly expanding to new areas of the economy. To explore the implications for all stakeholders in the region, the Atlantic Council, in partnership with the OECD, launched on June 26 a revealing study analyzing data not previously available to the public. New numbers show dramatic rises in FDI from China in Latin America – beyond oil and mining, China is today focusing on ICT, electricity, finance, and alternative energy.

 

 

 

 


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Política industrial rural y fortalecimiento de cadenas de valor [Industrial policy in rural areas and strengthening value chains] (link in Spanish)

Summary: Rural areas have experienced huge transformations in recent decades, such as the reduction in the share of agricultural employment and agricultural value added in total economic activity, the increased interdependence between the agriculture sector and other sectors such as manufacturing and services, and the growing importance of learning processes and innovation. Despite these transformations, rural areas continue to play a hugely significant role in the economic structure of the region. This book argues that there is a need for a rural industrial policy that promotes structural change based on innovation, greater value added, better living and employment conditions, all in harmony with the environment. These proposals are based on the experience that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has in strengthening rural value chains. They provide a novel vision of industrial policy and rural development, two issues which have traditionally been dealt with separately. The book also presents ECLAC’s value chains methodology and provides a comparative analysis of processes for strengthening rural value chains which revolve around primary and agroindustrial products and rural tourism.