Origen y evolucion de la manufactura en el interior. El caso de Bahía Blanca

Bahía Blanca has been posed as the main Southern city of the country (both in population and economic terms) by various works in the field of economic geography. In particular, it has been emphasized its leading manufacturing sector (historically oriented to exports) and its role as center of supply for most Patagonian towns. This economic function has been spreaded by the slogan “Bahía Blanca, port and door of Argentinian South”, targeted to unify heterogeneous visions about the city role in the hierarchy of urban spaces at national scale. In some way, these elements have driven the hypothesis –especially between local bourgeoisie and politicians- that local economic development process has surpassed a critical threshold, avoiding thus future drawbacks. This presentation offers a review of main factors that contributed, a hundred years ago, to the emergence of manufacturing firms in Bahía Blanca and of the elements that explain its ongoing evolution. Perspectives on local industrial growth derived from this analysis will be compared with former vision. During the exposition, it will be reveled that the initial role attributed by local bourgeoisie to Bahía Blanca has been more a transitory than a permanent feature.