The global economy appears stuck on its path to recovery. The loss of economic momentum in advanced economies, and the reduction in global demand, is having knock-on effects for developing countries. These economies are now seeking opportunities that are different from the paths previously chosen.

A greater emphasis is being posed, in particular, on regional and South- South markets that can help generating economies of scale, creating employment and fostering diversification and production upgrading.

The current global scenario is also offering new opportunities concerning the digital economy and Industry 4.0. To keep up in the ongoing technological revolution, however, and exploit these opportunities, developing countries are in urgent need of international technology transfers.

They will also need to build appropriate physical and digital infrastructures and to preserve, and possibly expand, the policy space needed to implement digital policies around data localization, management of data flows and custom duties on electronic transmissions.

This round table puts together academics, policymakers, international civil servants and key stakeholders from the private sector to discuss the critical role that regional productive integration can play to revitalize the industrial sector and foster economic growth, devoting particular attention to the exploitation of regional synergies in value-added production and to South-South digital cooperation.

This will help laying down the key elements around which to build and ambitious and transformative South-South Agenda for the twenty-first century in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Valentina Delich, FLACSO

• Piergiuseppe Fortunato, UNCTAD

• Annalisa Primi, OECD DEV

• Mercede Botto, FLACSO

• Ricardo Rozemberg, UNGSM

• Diego Coatz, UIA

• Federico Lavopa, Ministerio de produccion y trabajo