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Industrial policy-making after COVID-19: Manufacturing, innovation and sustainability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Mark Dean Open the ORCID record for Mark Dean [Opens in a new window] ,
Al Rainnie ,
Jim Stanford  and
Dan Nahum
Mark Dean*
Affiliation:
Carmichael Centre, Centre for Future Work at The Australia Institute, Australia
Al Rainnie
Affiliation:
UniSA Business, University of South Australia, Australia
Jim Stanford
Affiliation:
Centre for Future Work at The Australia Institute, Australia
Dan Nahum
Affiliation:
Centre for Future Work at The Australia Institute, Australia
*
Mark Dean, Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service, 9/55 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Email: mark.bernard.dean@gmail.com
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Abstract

This article critically analyses the opportunities for Australia to revitalise its strategically important manufacturing sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It considers Australia’s industry policy options on the basis of both advances in the theory of industrial policy and recent policy proposals in the Australian context. It draws on recent work from The Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work examining the prospects for Australian manufacturing renewal in a post-COVID-19 economy, together with other recent work in political economy, economic geography and labour process theory critically evaluating the Fourth Industrial Revolution (i4.0) and its implications for the Australian economy. The aim of the article is to contribute to and further develop the debate about the future of government intervention in manufacturing and industry policy in Australia. Crucially, the argument links the future development of Australian manufacturing with a focus on renewable energy.

Keywords

L50L52L78O10O13O25O44P18Q42COVID-19governmentindustrial policyIndustry 4.0innovationmanufacturingrenewable energy
Type
Contested Terrains
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 32 , Issue 2: Configuring the Green New Deal , June 2021 , pp. 283 - 303
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2021

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