Latin America Seminar
Latin America Seminar
Latin America Seminar
Jointly supported by Kobe University RIEB Workshop on Economic and Political Research on Latin America / Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists
| Date & Time | Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 1:00pm - 2:30pm |
|---|---|
| Place | Online Seminar by Zoom |
| Intended Audience | Faculty, Graduate Students, and People with Equivalent Knowledge |
| Langage | Japanese |
| Remarks | Please complete the registration before February 24. Meeting URL will be informed later. Registration Form (Due: Feb 24) |
1:00pm～2:30pm
- Topic
- How Does Innovation Take Place in the Mining Industry? Understanding the Logic Behind Innovation in a Changing Context
- Speaker
- Michiko IIZUKA (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)
- Abstract
- Mining activity has been considered a "curse" for development, and its less innovative nature is given as one of several reasons for this. This study aims to bring together existing evidence to identify the key features of innovation mechanisms in the mining sector, especially regarding its profit structure, which in turn depends strongly on mining commodity prices. Available data and literature on innovation in mining indicates that mining exploration is akin to R&D in the manufacturing sector, given its knowledge-intensity and potential for expanding the profit base. Secondly, mining relies strongly on suppliers' innovation to increase productivity. We find two different innovation responses to mineral price fluctuations: exploration and R&D investments increase as commodity prices rise, while the use of suppliers' innovation intensifies when prices decrease. Understanding the above is a first step towards designing effective policies to transform this sector into a catalyst of economic transformation in resource-rich developing countries.