Brazilian industrialisation: The influence of technological levels on the gross domestic product and Human Development Index

This study aims to investigate which technological levels of industry contributed most to the formation and development of the gross domestic product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) in Brazil from 2000 to 2010. The HDI and the GDP were the dependent variables selected for the study. The independent variables were selected from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) base: they included employees, salaries and manufacturing establishments from 23 industries that were separated into technological levels according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Multiple regressions were used to indicate the relationship of dependency and explanatory power between dependent and explanatory variables. The results showed that the industries with mid-low and low technological levels have greater impact on the formation of GDP and HDI in Brazil. These two technological levels were primarily developed with the arrival of multinationals in the 1990s and 2000s, as found in the theory background. An empirical research spanning a longer time period and based on other sources would possibly give more strength to the econometric study. This study has implications for academicians and entrepreneurs willing to understand the Brazilian market and industry history.