asignatura master 2025

Generally speaking, economic policy can be clasified into microeconomic and macroeconomic policy. The first category is related to strategies designed and implemented for particular markets or activities, such as agriculture, trade, regional issues and industry. The second, instead, deals basically with policy changes which impact the aggregate demand of the economy, through fiscal and monetary measures, and the agreggate supply, via structural reforms (in this last case macroeconomic policy is intextricably linked to microeconomic policy).

We can describe Industrial policy as the set of laws, regulations and measures designed and implemented by legislators and policymakers in order to induce certain outcomes on the organization, operation and output of firms. Thus it belongs to the category of microeconomic policies.

In turn, within industrial policies two main types of approaches can be distinguished: horizontal, intended for the vast majority of firms operating in the economy, and sectoral, specific for particular spheres of the economic activity. Examples of horizontal measures are those covering the following areas: regional, taxation, social, competition and environment. By sectoral measures we usually refer to: industry and enterprise policies, R+D, energy, transport, agricultural and fishery.

In the last 60 years three main types of paradigms have been used in this regard. The first part of the period was characterized by active invervention in the economy, through subsidies, targeted procurement by governments and fostering of mergers and adquisitions. From the 80s onwards, instead, governments opted for a more market friendly approach, oriented towards the removal of obstacles to competition in markets and the consolidation of a favourable environment where firms could operate. While in the first part of the period industrial policy was tantamount to sectoral policies, in the second it has shifted towards horizontal measures.

As a result of the financial and real economic crisis which started in 2007-2008, policymakers have gravitated to a more active behaviour, intended to lend support to some key activities and avoid their collapse.

During this course we shall revise the main features and landmarks of each of these approaches. Transport policy will not be covered in this course, however, since it is addressed elsewhere.

Students interested in this course should have a basic knowledge of microeconomics and macroeconomics, at least at the introductory level. Familiarity with basic concepts of firm management and strategy are also welcomed.

Most of the study will be centered around material constructed from intuitions, applications, case analysis and graphical discussions. Hence no advanced knowledge of mathematics is necessary to follow the course.

For obvious reasons, students should be familiar with the main IT tools employed in this University, and capable of reading technical literature in English. 

Office 2.24

Departamento de Análisis Económico  

Facultad de Económicas y Empreses, UNED

Paseo Senda del Rey, 11, 2ª Planta, 28040. MADRID

Phone number: 91 3989064

email:  bsanchez-robles@cee.uned.es 

To set an appointment please send me an email

COMPETENCIAS BÁSICAS Y GENERALES:

CG04 - Gestión de los procesos de comunicación e información. Expresión y comunicación eficaces a través de distintos medios y con distinto tipo de interlocutores a través de un uso eficaz de las herramientas y recursos de la Sociedad del Conocimiento (competencia en el uso de las TIC; en la búsqueda de información relevante; en la gestión y organización de la información; en la recolección de datos, el manejo de bases de datos y su presentación).

CG05 - Trabajo en equipo desarrollando distinto tipo de funciones o roles como Habilidad para coordinarse con el trabajo de otros; habilidad para negociar de forma Eficaz; habilidad para la mediación y resolución de conflictos; habilidad para coordinar grupos de trabajo o liderazgo (en el marco del aprendizaje)

CB6 - Poseer y comprender conocimientos que aporten una base u oportunidad de ser originales en el desarrollo y/o aplicación de ideas, a menudo en un contexto de investigación

CB7 - Que los estudiantes sepan aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos y su capacidad de resolución de problemas en entornos nuevos o poco conocidos dentro de contextos más amplios (o multidisciplinares) relacionados con su área de estudio

CB8 - Que los estudiantes sean capaces de integrar conocimientos y enfrentarse a la complejidad de formular juicios a partir de una información que, siendo incompleta o limitada, incluya reflexiones sobre las responsabilidades sociales y éticas vinculadas a la aplicación de sus conocimientos y juicios

CB9 - Que los estudiantes sepan comunicar sus conclusiones y los conocimientos y razones últimas que las sustentan a públicos especializados y no especializados de un modo claro y sin ambigüedades 

CB10 - Que los estudiantes posean las habilidades de aprendizaje que les permitan continuar estudiando de un modo que habrá de ser en gran medida autodirigido o autónomo.

COMPETENCIAS ESPECÍFICAS:

CE01 - Trabajar en contextos multidisciplinares que son los propios del ámbito de la Unión Europea y resolver problemas en dicho ámbito.

CE02 - Dominar los instrumentos de regulación y ordenación de la Unión Europea en contextos profesionales y académicos.

CE03 - Identificar normas y documentos dentro del sistema jurídico-político resultante de la integración de los ordenamientos jurídicos de los Estados Miembros y de la Unión Europea

CE04 - Encontrar, analizar y aplicar la legislación emanada de las diferentes instituciones y órganos de la Unión Europea, así como la de los Estados Miembros que se refiera o esté implicada en el sistema europeo.

CE14 - Analizar la economía de la Unión Europea interrelacionando todos sus aspectos

The main goals of this course as far as learning is concerned are the following:

Adquire familiarity with the main sectoral strategies pursued in the EU in the last 60 years, identifying the differences between the different phases alluded to above.
Understand the different tools which can be used by policy makers to act both horizontally and at the sector level, and grasp their main pros and cons.
Have a general knowledge of the main priorities and instruments of industrial policy in EU at this moment, together with the relevant literature and on line resources where this information can be found. 

The methodology for this course, as it happens commonly in this University, combines the individual study of the reference books and papers with access to on line material of various types, often through the Alf platform. 

There is a final paper at the end of the course.

Allen, C., Gasiorek, M and Smith, A. (1998) “The competition effects of the Single Market in Europe”, Economic Policy 13, 27, 440-486.

Baldwin, R. and Venables, A. (1995) “Regional economic integration”, in Grossman, G. and Rogoff, K. (eds) Handbook of International Economics, North-Holland, New York.

European Comission (2010) “EU competition laws: rules aplicable to merger control situation as at 1 April 2010”, DG Competition, Brussels.

Moussis, N. (2015) "Access to European Union: law, economics, policies",  21th edition, Intersentia, Cambridge.

Owen, G. (2012) “Industrial policy in Europe since the Second World War: What has been learnt?”, ECIPE Occasional Paper 1/2012, Brussels.

Redding, S. (2010) “The empirics of New Economic Geography”, Journal of Regional Science 50, 1, 297-311.

See. INFORMACIÓN ADICIONAL DE BIBLIOGRAFÍA COMPLEMENTARIA