The Industrial Front and the Pandemic Crisis in Brazil: The Missing Agenda

Abstract

The article seeks to identify the government initiatives to mobilise the Brazilian industry during the pandemic crisis. The motivation for the work stems from evidence showing the omissions at the federal level, with relevant implications for the death figures in Brazil. Public policies agenda and a conceptual review was carried out on industrial reconversion in severe emergency conditions, including international experiences in the current scenario. A documental survey was conducted with the federal government and selected state governments. The survey was carried out on the official portals of governments, related agencies and business entities representing the industrial sector. Lack of industry-coordinated mobilisation is given by the combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors concerning the pandemic crisis, industrial reconversion is another relevant absence at the public agenda. Weak answers of Brazilian government regarding the industrial mobilisation for fighting the pandemic crisis, leading to further hypotheses on the structured agenda of possible effects. The study shows weakness of federal measures coming from the Brazilian government also in the economic front, adding the industrial reconversion absence in the policies agenda as another remarkable feature on the health impacts of COVID-19 pandemics.