Financiamentos internacionais como impulsionadores para o desenvolvimento regional: o caso Proredes-Bird junto aos arranjos produtivos locais no RS

Abstract

In order to enhance and improve public administration, it is necessary for the government to make strategic decisions and good choices aimed at meeting the aspirations of society. Programs and projects developed with external resources emerge in an attempt to expand development and address the lack of revenue. In this context, as a means of acquiring international financing, policymakers often turn to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), which aim to promote programs and projects by stimulating the economic and social development of emerging countries. In light of the above, this study seeks to analyze the contributions of international financing to regional development through the Program for Supporting the Resumption of Economic and Social Development in Rio Grande do Sul - Programa de Apoio à Retomada do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social do Rio Grande do Sul (Proredes), financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The theme delimitation is given through the strengthening of clusters, considered essential for the development of the private sector and consequently the region. In order to achieve this objective, an investigation was initially performed on the projects developed and implemented by the clusters participating in the pilot phase of Proredes (in the Furniture; Fashion; Metal-mechanical and Automotive; Stones, Gems and Jewelry; and Post-Harvest sectors). Subsequently, six dimensions identified in the literature as benefits of the cluster environment composed the survey conducted through an online questionnaire, from which a sample of 117 companies was obtained. The data were analyzed through frequencies and Anova. In a second stage, the possible impact of financing on socioeconomic indicators (business opening and closure, hiring and layoff, per capita GDP, and Idese indicators) of the cities covered by these clusters was analyzed using causal impact analysis. Among the main results, we highlight that clusters act in an isolated manner, according to the context of the segment to which they belong. We identified a statistically significant and positive impact on the indicators of business openings and per capita GDP for all clusters, with this effect also observed at the state level in Rio Grande do Sul. It is also worth noting the identification of a trade-off between the employment indicator and the dimensions of productivity and technological innovation for the Metal-mechanical and Automotive and Post-Harvest clusters, where the number of hirings was statistically significant and negative, while the average agreement level of the dimensions was higher compared to other clusters. These findings denote the importance of continuing projects with external financing, as well as strategic targeting in less developed regions for overcoming specific challenges and promoting economic and social growth in these localities. These considerations should guide public policies towards promoting a more balanced and inclusive regional development. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]