Module Code - Title:
EC6132
-
INDUSTRIAL POLICY: THEORY, PRACTICE AND EVALUATION
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
After years of official disrepute, industrial policy (IP) is back in vogue at regional, national and EU levels driven by concerns over competitiveness, globalisation, de-industrialisation, unemployment and the comparatively slow growth of the EU economy especially in this post-recession phase. IF (incorporating policies directed at inter-alia services economy & manufacturing, foreign and indigenously-owned enterprises, and SMEs) is also seen as a catalyst for designing economic recovery strategies at regional, national and EU levels. Within this context, the aim of this module is to expose students to current thinking in the field of industrial development and policy from theoretical and practice perspectives. The module will also examine and engage with the methodological and policy-making debate as to how the impact of IF interventions should be evaluated from both ex-ante and ex-post perspectives.
Syllabus:
The module covers key issues in Industrial policy (IP) including: theoretical underpinnings in the field of IF and Policy Evaluation, including issues such as market failure and systemic failure; dynamic externalities (knowledge-spillovers and network externalities); evolutionary and system- based views of IF; roles and impacts of large, transnational firms and small and medium-sized firms and gazelles (high growth firms); technology and innovation policy; regional Policy; network and cluster development and policy; the inter-dependence (or independence) of territorial production/innovation systems in a global economy; evaluation of industrial development policies from both a-ante and a-post perspectives; new firm creation as a driver of economic development; the development of creative, learning regions; role of cities in economic growth; Enterprise development and policies; Entrepreneurship policies: solutions for peripheral regions and rural areas.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
i) Explain how industrial policy can be used to restore economic balance, support sustainable development and catalyse new technologies and innovations, whilst learning lessons from past experience and debates.
ii) Apply theoretical concepts and constructs to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the role and features of industrial development and policy in a modern economy.
iii) Evaluate the impact of industrial policy interventions (e.g. enterprise and innovation policy interventions) from both ex-ante and ex-post perspectives. iv) Demonstrate an understanding of how best to measure the actual impact of a specific public policy intervention.
v) Demonstrate an awareness of the key methodological debates regarding the pros and cons of adopting different methodological tools and frameworks in this field of study.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
i) Demonstrate an appreciation of the rationale for public policy interventions and in particular those of industrial policy.
ii) Demonstrate an understanding of the alternative ways (through an industrial policy lens) that intervention can occur with respect to for example, enterprise and innovation policy interventions.
iii) Develop and demonstrate an appreciation of the different types of industrial policies that are required in different contexts (e.g. developed vs developing country perspective; regional vs national levels)
iv) Demonstrate an increased awareness of the importance of robust evaluation frameworks to measure the impact of public policy interventions.
v) Demonstrate the ability to engage in academic and policymaking debate on how industrial policy can rebalance economies, help foster sustainable development and catalyse new technologies and innovations.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
N/A
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
Lectures and applied tutorials and discussion forums to develop the graduate attributes of curious, agile, responsible, courageous and articulate. This module at all times is in the spirit of Research-led teaching and brings latest state of the art theoretical and empirical approaches into the module.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Bianchi, P., Labory, S. & Tomlinson, P. R. (Eds) (2023)
Handbook of Industrial Development
, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. 456 p.
Other Relevant Texts:
Bailey, D., Lenihan, H. and Arauzo-Carod, IM., eds. (2011)
Industrial Policy beyond the Recession: Regional, National and International Perspectives, Regions and Cities series
, London: Routledge
Andersson M., Deiaco, E., Edlunds, J Eds (2021)
Swedish perspectives on industrial policy: The Washington Consensus and beyond
, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum
Barzotto, M., Corradini, C., Fai, FM., Tomlinson, PR and Labory, S (2019)
Revitalising Lagging Regions: Smart Specialisation and Industry 4.0
, Taylor abd Francis Group
Karlsson, C (2018)
Industrial Policy, Rationale, Evaluation and Prospects
, Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
helena.lenihan@ul.ie