Industrial Policy: Past, Diversity, Future; Introduction to the Special Issue on the Future of Industrial Policy

Industrial policy is one of the most controversial policy fields. Its scope, instruments and rational vary across countries, changing over time; intentions and outcomes often differ. This volume brings together reports on countries, highlighting specific problems and concepts. Most papers explicitly state that there has recently been renewed interest in industrial policy, be it the new “matrix” approach in the EU, or other strategies in Japan, the US and France. Problems and solutions differ between frontier countries like Finland and the catching-up economies of the new EU member countries, or the policy strategies in developing countries designed to foster economic growth or complement globalisation. The upcoming new approach to industrial policy all hints at a more systemic industrial policy, forward looking and emphasizing the synergies with other policy areas, but also fine-tuning to specific needs, comparative advantages and future technologies.