Trayectoria reciente y perspectivas futuras de la industria naval pesada argentina: los astilleros estatales

Abstract

With a regulatory protectionist framework promoting the construction of ships in the country, the development of the naval industry in Argentina was characterized by strong State intervention. Such intervention took place within a regime of Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) processes. Our paper will describe the history of Argentina’s naval heavy industry since 1950 to date, focusing on two aspects: the central role of the State (and its industrial policy) as regulator, producer, client and financial backer of the sector; and the active participation of social actors, specially organized workers, in the sector’s survival during the 1990s. We will study the two most significant state-owned shipyards for building and repair in Argentina: Astillero Rio Santiago (ARS) and Talleres Dársena Norte (Tandanor). As final conclusions, we reflect upon the future development of the sector and the place its social actors have.