The Enclave Economy: Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development in Mexico's Silicon Valley (Urban and Industrial Environments) [Paperback]

Kevin P. Gallagher (Author), Lyuba Zarsky (Author)

Book Description

Series: Urban and Industrial Environments | Publication Date: July 20, 2007

Foreign investment has been widely perceived as a panacea for developing countries--as a way to reduce poverty and kick-start sustainable modern industries. The Enclave Economy calls this prescription into question, showing that Mexico's post-NAFTA experience of foreign direct investment in its information technology sector, particularly in the Guadalajara region, did not result in the expected benefits. Charting the rise and fall of Mexico's "Silicon Valley," the authors explore issues that resonate through much of Latin America and the developing world: the social, economic, and environmental effects of market-driven globalization. In the 1990s, Mexico was a poster child for globalization, throwing open its borders to trade and foreign investment, embracing NAFTA, and ending the government's role in strengthening domestic industry. But The Enclave Economy shows that although Mexico was initially successful in attracting multinational corporations, foreign investments waned in the absence of active government support and as China became increasingly competitive. Moreover, the authors find that foreign investment created an "enclave economy" the benefits of which were confined to an international sector not connected to the wider Mexican economy. In fact, foreign investment put many local IT firms out of business and transferred only limited amounts of environmentally sound technology. The authors suggest policies and strategies that will enable Mexico and other developing countries to foster foreign investment for sustainable development in the future. Kevin P. Gallagher is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University and Senior Researcher at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. He is the author of Free Trade and the Environment: Mexico, NAFTA, and Beyond and other books. Lyuba Zarsky is a Consultant and Senior Research Fellow at the Global Development and Environment Institute. She is a contributing editor of Investment for Sustainable Development: Balancing Rights and Rewards.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mexico was the ninth biggest economy in the world and the greatest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America in 2007. Why has FDI failed to transfer technology, develop cleaner production processes, form human capital, and offer high quality employment specifically in the IT industry in such a country? This book provides excellent reflections on these issues as well as on the inadequate public policies behind these frustrating results. A very valuable contribution to the search for a new, successful economic development strategy for Mexico and other developing countries." Claudia Schatan, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico City, and author of Maquiladoras and the Environment in Mexico

About the Author

Analyzes the extent to which foreign investment in Mexico's information technology sector brought economic, social, and environmental benefits to Guadalajara.

Kevin P. Gallagher is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University and Senior Researcher at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. He is the author of Free Trade and the Environment: Mexico, NAFTA, and Beyond and other books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (July 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262572427
• ISBN-13: 978-0262572422
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,136,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kevin P. Gallagher is an associate professor of international relations at Boston University, where he directs the Global Development Policy Program. Gallagher is also a senior researcher at the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. He is the author of The Dragon in the Room: China and the Future of Latin American Industrialization (with Roberto Porzecanski), The Enclave Economy: Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development in Mexico's Silicon Valley (with Lyuba Zarsky), and Free Trade and the Environment: Mexico, NAFTA, and Beyond. He has been the editor or co-editor for a number of books, including Putting Development First: the Importance of Policy Space in the WTO and IFIs, International Trade and Sustainable Development, and others. He writes regular columns on globalization and development for the Financial Times, the Guardian, the POLITICO.