Title: The progress of digitalisation in Mexico: effects on the institutional structure

Authors: Mónica Casalet; Federico Stezano

Addresses: FLACSO-Mexico, Carretera Picacho-Ajusco 377, Héroes de Padierna, 14200, Mexico City, Mexico ' School of Humanities and Education, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), Av Carlos Lazo 100, Santa Fe, La Loma, 01389, Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to discuss how industrial and innovation processes in Mexico address the new challenges of the current industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) on production, work practices, public-private collaborative research and the creation of new relational and production capabilities. The work uses data obtained from a questionnaire applied to qualified informants of firms and intermediary organisations in Mexico, looking for their perspectives on the productive incorporation of new digital technologies. The analysed organisations were selected through a theoretical sample (not statistically representative). The analysis carried out takes precautions before the possible bias derived from the selected organisations. Our results show that the perspectives of the actors of the Mexican innovation system, highlights serious limitations in terms of technical and organisational skills of firms to incorporate digital technologies in production processes. The study provides a first exploratory analysis on the visions of the agents involved on the technical and organisational challenges of the new digital technologies. Additionally, this paper provides new analytical inputs to reflect on the potential opportunities of the Mexican firms to adopt these new technical trends and institutional and governance critical aspects for a debate about a national agenda of new industrial and innovation policies.

Keywords: digitalisation; Mexico; Industry 4.0; innovation policies; institutions; technological convergence; industrial policies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2021.113514

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2021 Vol.24 No.3, pp.339 - 363

Received: 09 May 2019
Accepted: 09 Jul 2019

Published online: 10 Mar 2021 *

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