Regionally Based Socio-Economic ­Ecosystems: Case Studies from Argentina

Abstract

In recent years, growth in digital transfor mation has increased exponentially, but in some regions, only slow growth has been achieved, as in Argentina. This represents a remarkable Argentine deficit of skills and a shortage of talent for the develop ment of industry 4.0/5.0. The conclusion reached at an International Engineering Workshop which took place in Cordoba, Argentina confirmed this. Documenta tion derived from a collaboration with the UCL Global Engagement Strategy was considered, and projects and start-ups in London and Glasgow associated with digitalization, as well as lessons learned, were included. Finally, during 2023 a sur vey of digital maturity was carried out with Argentine companies. In addition, a field observation of direct data collec tion from Argentine companies as well as interviews with experts were conducted. Furthermore, 51 Argentine job banks were consulted, looking for digital transforma tion-related skills. Beyond the business world, 500 academic programs of study within Argentine university degree pro grams were examined to detect digital transformation-oriented content. Even considering the particularities of the country, some patterns were de tected including the urgent necessity of improving education as a guarantee of growth to promote a better Argentine digital transformation. Indeed, based on the diagnosis and including key points of the Social Ecosystem Model, a set of rec ommendations oriented towards aligning professional skills covered by university degrees in Argentinian academia with market needs was formulated. These focus on the Vocational Education and