Policy mix and multi-level governance in regional development policies in the Northeast: the case of the automotive sector in Pernambuco

Abstract

Over the past few years, regional planning and development policies have sought, among other aspects, to foster and modernize the productive structure, production factors and economic activities unevenly distributed at different spatial scales. To this end, regional development policies are present on the agendas of the different government levels. The formulation and implementation of these policies can result in complementary, overlapping or neutral policy interactions. This points to the existence of a set of complex interactions that involve both different actors and technical, political, economic and social factors. In this sense, the implementation of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Automotive Pole in the Northeast is an emblematic case of high investments and representative to observe the complexity of policies and the interaction of actors at multiple spatial scales. Considering these elements, it is questioned which network of policies contributed to the implantation of the FCA Automotive Pole in the Northeast? In order to contemplate the question raised, a discussion of the rationalities, domains, instruments and actors that contributed to the formation of the vehicle manufacturer in the municipality of Goiana, a region in the north of the state of Pernambuco, is presented. The methodological approach starts from the perspective of public policy evaluation, combining the dimensions of policy mix and multilevel governance. The main findings indicate for: i) aspects of complementarity in policies to encourage innovation, infrastructure and logistics in the federal and state governments; ii) complementarity in professional qualification policies; iii) concentration of financing policies at the federal level; and iv) overlapping fiscal policies adopted at the three levels of government.