Visible seeds of socialism and metamorphoses of capitalism: socialism after Rosdolsky

Roman Rosdolsky suggests a method to deal with the transition towards socialism that integrates three issues: 1) the identification of dynamic features of capitalism; 2) the systematization of metamorphoses of capitalism; 3) the evaluation of how these metamorphoses reshape the elaboration of alternatives to capitalism. This evaluation is a precondition for the visualization, within the complex dynamics of capitalism, of seeds of a new society Ð institutions born out of political struggles and of emancipatory features of key social processes. These institutions reshape the nature of the metamorphoses of capitalism Ð and the possibility of establishing socialism and democracy.metamorphoses of capitalism; technology and finance; socialism and democracy.

Inadequacy of technology and innovation systems at the periphery: notes on Celso Furtado's contributions for a dialogue between evolutionists and structuralists

This paper focuses on "inadequacy of technology" as formulated by Celso Furtado. The concept of "inadequacy of technology" may be, on the one hand, an enlightening assessment of the technological condition of underdevelopment and, on the other hand, a helpful "focusing device" for an agenda on innovation systems at the periphery. Furtado's approach on inappropriate technology may uncover the social roots of the well know "low-growth trap" of less-developed economies. Celso Furtado explains how inadequacy of technology is related to the polarization "modernization-marginalization" that characterizes economies with immature systems of innovation, as the Brazilian economy. This concept also highlights how difficult it is to overcome the complex interplay among unequal income distribution, localized and blocked technical progress and unsustainable economic growth. To overcome the inadequacy of technology a dual institutional building seems to be necessary: the innovation systems might co-evolve with welfare systems.Celso Furtado, evolutionary theory, innovation systems, welfare systems, catching up process

Less-developed countries and innovation in health: notes and data about the Brazilian case

This communication discusses the specificity of health innovation in a lessdeveloped country, investigating the Brazilian case. To evaluate the specificity of the Brazilian system, this communication presents data about employment, expenditures, industrial firms in health-related industrial sectors, scientific resources, and diffusion of medical equipment. This communication concludes summarising the main characteristics of the Health Innovation System in Brazil.health; innovation; Brazil

Industrial and Competition Policies in Mexico

Until the 1980s, the Mexican economy was closed and strongly directed and controlled by the central government. However, starting with the second half of this decade and continuing into the 1990s, a marked change in industrial policy sought to create conditions that would open the economy and foster competition and economic efficiency. This process was undertaken by implementing a first generation of reforms, which included policies designed to attain macroeconomic stability, trade openness, and a modernization of the regulatory framework. A second generation of reforms included the application of horizontal instruments, like standardization and metrology; the passing of new laws, such as the property rights protection law and a law for foreign investments; and the creation of regulatory agencies. Nevertheless, unlike most countries undergoing this process, the opening of the Mexican economy did not include the services sector, where distortions persisted. This article underscores competition problems that persist in certain regulated sectors, such as transport, telecommunications, energy, and financial services. The article proposes specific measures to successfully tackle such challenges, including: (1) providing autonomy to sectoral regulators to avoid regulatory capture; (2) improving coordination between horizontal and vertical regulators; and (3) promoting accountability of these regulators, particularly with Congress and the judiciary. Finally, the author considers that laws can be perfected provided there is an adequate institutional framework. The reverse is not true: well-written laws are useless when the institutions underlying them are flawed

Industrial and Competition Policies in Mexico

Until the 1980s, the Mexican economy was closed and strongly directed and controlled by the central government. However, starting with the second half of this decade and continuing into the 1990s, a marked change in industrial policy sought to create conditions that would open the economy and foster competition and economic efficiency. This process was undertaken by implementing a first generation of reforms, which included policies designed to attain macroeconomic stability, trade openness, and a modernization of the regulatory framework. A second generation of reforms included the application of horizontal instruments, like standardization and metrology; the passing of new laws, such as the property rights protection law and a law for foreign investments; and the creation of regulatory agencies. Nevertheless, unlike most countries undergoing this process, the opening of the Mexican economy did not include the services sector, where distortions persisted. This article underscores competition problems that persist in certain regulated sectors, such as transport, telecommunications, energy, and financial services. The article proposes specific measures to successfully tackle such challenges, including: (1) providing autonomy to sectoral regulators to avoid regulatory capture; (2) improving coordination between horizontal and vertical regulators; and (3) promoting accountability of these regulators, particularly with Congress and the judiciary. Finally, the author considers that laws can be perfected provided there is an adequate institutional framework. The reverse is not true: well-written laws are useless when the institutions underlying them are flawed

Cross-over, thresholds, and interactions between science and technology: a tentative simplified model and initial notes about statistics from 120 countries

The hypothesis of this paper is the existence of thresholds of scientific production that must be overcome to trigger new channels of interactions between the scientific and technological infrastructure. As the development process evolves, new interactions are initiated. The interactions between science and technology become stronger and more pervasive, reaching at last the mutual feedbacks and the virtuous circles typical of developed economies. Using statistics of patents (USPTO) and scientific papers (ISI) for 120 countries (for 1974, 192, 1990 and 1998), this paper investigates the relationship between the scientific infrastructure and the technological production.science and technology; economic developmentR&D; Brazil

A changing role for universities in the periphery

An international research on interactions between universities and firms is an opportunity to investigate this subject beyond the developed countries. This project involves 12 countries from three continents: Africa (South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda), Asia (South Korea, China, India, Thailand and Malaysia) and Latin America (Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil). This paper introduces a theoretical framework to deal with this broad set of countries, their different levels of NSI formation and their different levels of development. This framework may help public policies to understand the role of universities for a country search for an “active insertion in the international division of labor”.interactions between firms and universities, National Innovation Systems, catch up processes.

Causa e efeito: contribuições de Marx para investigações sobre finanças e inovação

Marx has a method for the evaluation of patterns of interaction between finance and innovation. Two starting points of this method are the simultaneity of cause and effect and the identification of reciprocal effects between the monetary-financial dimension and the industrialinnovative dimension. This paper investigates this method firstly defining a dynamic concept of money. The connections between the monetary-financial dimension and the industrial-innovative dimension are examined through their historical and theoretical elements. Finally, the most important connections of this complex interaction are presented.finance, inovation, co-evolution, Marx, method

Mercado, tecnologia e socialismo: notas sobre a rodada atual de um debate histórico

This paper reviews two elaborations on alternatives to capitalism (Roemer, 1994 e Burczak, 2006). The present round of the controversy on socialism, planning vs. market, was triggered by the collapse of the bureaucratic regime in the URSS. One key feature of the present round is the influence of Hayek. One important argument for the fundamental role of markets in these models of socialism is technology – seen as a product of market forces. This paper evaluates the present round as an introduction to a suggestion of new terms for this important debate.Socialism, Roemer, Burczak, technology.

Economic Competition and the Energy Sector: The Electricity and Natural Gas Markets

Despite the recent energy reforms in Mexico, the conditions under which some economic sectors operate in Mexico reflect a reality that is still far from a competitive marketplace, and the benefits that such markets generate. The authors of this paper present three factors that, if not recognized in a timely manner, may limit the effective application of the most recent reform in the natural gas and electricity industries. This paper is part of a Baker Institute Mexico Center research project examining the rule of law in Mexico (http://www.bakerinstitute.org/the-rule-of-law-and-mexicos-energy-reform/) and the challenges it poses to implementing the country's energy reform