overview

Advances in technologies are disrupting production processes in unprecedented ways across industries around the world. These changes are bringing new opportunities for improving productivity and competitiveness in various sectors but are also bringing new challenges. History has shown that successfully managing the structural changes driven by technology is crucial for ensuring wider benefits. It is therefore critical to understand the nature of the disruptions for different industries. The Industrial Development Think Tank (IDTT) supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) is working on a programme of research deepening understanding of processes of technological change in the context of industry 4.0. This will inform a digital industrial policy framework and a policy issues paper.

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Digital Industrial Policy Issues Paper

Click here to download the Digital Industrial Policy Issues Paper.

Colloquium on digital industrial policy

12 & 13 November 2018

The colloquium will draw together research findings, international business experience and insights from leading experts in order to identify the key challenges of disruptive technological change for industrial development in South Africa.

In addition to local experts, business leaders and senior government officials, the following leading international experts will be presenting and facilitating the discussion, each bringing particular areas of knowledge:

• Dr Antonio Andreoni, SOAS, University of London, UK

• Dr Rashmi Banga, UNCTAD

• Parminder Jeet Singh, IT for Change, India

• Prof David Kupfer, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Prof Stefano Ponte, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

• Dr Tim Sturgeon, MIT Industrial Performance Centre, USA

• Dr Jinkeun Yu, Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade

See below key reading material by the international experts:

Andreoni, A. & Tregenna, F. (2018). Stuck in the Middle: Premature Deindustrialisation and Industrial Policy. CCRED Working Paper 11/2018

Banga, R. (2018). Chapter III. Economic Development in a Digital World: Prospects, Pitfalls and Policy Options. In Trade and Development Report 2018. Power, platforms and the free trade delusion. UNCTAD

Kupfer, D. (2018). Industry 2027. Risks and opportunities for Brazil in the face of disruptive innovations. Iniciativa da CNI – Confederação Nacional da Indústria

Rehnberg, M. & Ponte, S. (2017). From smiling to smirking? 3D printing, upgrading and the restructuring of global value chains

Singh, P.J. (2017). Digital Industrialisation in Developing Countries. A Review of the Business and Policy Landscape. IT for Change

Stugeon, T. (2017). The ‘New’ Digital Economy and Development. UNCTAD Technical Notes on ICT for Development No. 8

Colloquium Presentations

1. Andreoni, A. (2018). South Africa as an example of middle-income deindustrialization in comparative context

2. Banga, R. (2018). Rise of Digital Monopolies: Way Forward for Developing Countries

3. Barnes, J. (2018). Industry perspectives on digital industrial policy briefs

4. Ponte, S. (2018). 3-D Printing and the Restructuring of Global Value Chains

5. Roberts, S. (2018). Emerging issues for digitalization and structural transformation in South Africa

6. Roberts, S. (2018). Towards a Roadmap for a Digital Industrial Policy, Institutions and Tools - Choices and Options

7. Sturgeon, T. (2018). The ‘New’ DIGITAL ECONOMY and development: themes and scenarios for manufacturing, innovation, and policy

8. Yu, J. (2018). Korea Smart Factory Initiative

9. Yu, J. (2018). Korea’s policy and institutional response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

10. Barnes, J. (2018). Towards a Digital Industrial Policy Framework

Policy Briefs

1. Machinery, Equipment and Electronic Control Systems: Leading Reindustrialisation in Southern Africa

2. Repositioning the Future of the South African Automotive Industry

3. Technological Developments and the ‘Industrialisation of Freshness’ in Fresh Fruit Supply

4. Practical Implications for the South African Processing Industry

5. Repositioning the Future of the South African Chemicals Industry

6. An E-Commerce Revolution in Retail?

7. Repositioning the Future of the South African Clothing and Textile Industries

8. Digital Disruptions in the Yellow Metals Industry: The Role for Government Response

9. The Cape Town Software Development Cluster

10. Digital Transformation of the Plastic Products Factory

11. Managing the Transition to Electric Vehicle Technology