From Late European Industrialization to Latin American Import Substitution: Agostino Rocca and the Early Years of the Techint Organization, 1946-54
Author(s)
Castro, Claudio
Abstract
In describing the early years of the Techint organization in Argentina it is tempting to identify its founder, Agostino Rocca, as just another example from the tradition of Italian entrepreneurs in the Argentine manufacturing sector. However, his case was completely different. The success of his company, as swift as it was spectacular, was due to unique circumstances that reflected rapid internationalization, backward links, and a technical capacity not typical of a company operating in the context of import substitution. Several factors contributed to this. There was Rocca’s knowledge of the iron and steel industry and engineering, obtained from his professional career in Italy between the two world wars. Certain characteristics of the peninsular iron, steel, and metalworking complex in the previous decades made it possible to channel technology, knowledge, and labor toward Argentina and other countries where the company deployed its operations. Also important was the participation of the Argentine state, manifested in the credit support given to the firm’s industrial undertakings, public works for the development of power generation, and territorial integration, all key to making the substitution strategy sustainable.
IssueNo
12
Pages
119-144
Article
Article Not Available
Source
Ciclos
VolumeNo
13
PubDate
2003
ISBN_ISSN
0327-4063
Browse Path(s)
Economic Development, Growth, and Aggregate Productivity