Editorial: In honor of David Kupfer

Abstract

Professor at UFRJ from 1985 to 2019, columnist for Valor Econômico from 2004 to 2019, editor of REC/IE-UFRJ from 2010 to 2019, and emeritus researcher for CNPq appointed in 2019, David Kupfer stood out for his dynamic vision on the evolution of Brazilian manufacturing and his critical and pragmatic view of the role of the industrial sector in promoting economic development. David Kupfer, who passed away in February 2020, is honored in this dossier, which contains six original articles addressing themes and issues dear to him, such as problems in Brazilian industry, industrial and innovation policy, and the relationship between productive structure and trade. The dossier also includes the article “Patterns of competition and competitiveness,” written by David and initially published in 1991 as IEI-UFRJ Discussion Paper nº 265, which has become a reference in the study of business and structural dynamics in the country.