Decentralization and industrial policy in tension: challenges in the construction of a productive agenda in the province of Buenos Aires

Introduction: From a subnational perspective, this paper analyzes industrial policy in the Province of Buenos Aires, based on the idea that productive strategies in Argentina are deployed in a heterogeneous manner across the territory. In a context of decentralization and redefinition of the role of the state, the province—the country's historic industrial hub—has developed its own agenda aimed at sustaining and diversifying its productive matrix. Development: The study focuses on two key instruments of Buenos Aires industrial policy: industrial parks, as a territorial planning tool with a consolidated institutional track record, and the pharmaceutical industry, defined as a strategic sector due to its link to innovation and health sovereignty. Using an exploratory-descriptive methodology based on regulations, official documents, and sector statistics, it is observed that industrial parks show a high degree of institutionalization and territorial capillarity, while the development of the pharmaceutical sector lags behind, revealing tensions between provincial capacities, sector dynamics, and coordination between levels of government. Conclusions: The Buenos Aires experience reveals an industrial policy with solid territorial instruments, but with persistent challenges in promoting knowledge-intensive sectors. The main challenge is to articulate and deepen existing capacities in order to move towards a more integrated, innovative, and territorially balanced productive development.