The effects of human capital and private investment in technology on economic structure

• Ano de defesa: 2023
• Autor(a) principal: Leite, Deyvid William
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Viçosa; Economia Aplicada
• Palavras-chave em Português: Capital humano; Economia; Tecnologia; Investimentos; Crescimento, Flutuações e Planejamento Econômico
• Link de acesso: https://locus.ufv.br//handle/123456789/31743; https://doi.org/10.47328/ufvbbt.2023.657

It is well known that economic structure is linked to human capital, private investment in technology and income growth. Even though disentangling how this relationship happens is crucial for policy screening, this still needs a better understanding. We shed light on this debate by analyzing economic structure in two investigations. The first investigation is on the effect of human capital on economic structure. I exploit a significant expansion in the Brazilian federal network of technological and professional education since 2002 as an instrument for human capital. Data are on human capital for Brazilian micro-regions from 2003 to 2015. Results indicated that higher levels of economic structure are associated with a larger stock of human capital. The second investigation studies the effect of private investment in technology on economic struc- ture. A federal law fostering private investment in research and development is used as an instrument for investment in technology. Data are on investment in technology for Brazilian municipalities from 2002 to 2016. Results showed the federal law was effective and private investment in technology has a positive and significant effect on economic structure. We concluded human capital and investment in technology should be promoted due to their effect on economic structure. Keywords: Economic structure. Human capital. Technological education. Investment in technology. Economic complexity.