Title

Digital Transformation: A Sectoral Study of the Software and IT Workforce in Brazil as a Basis for Comparative Analysis

9:30-11:00, November 7th, 2025

Room 203, Think Tank Building,

Fudan University

Fudan Development Institute

Fudan-Latin America University Consortium

Center for Latin American Studies, 

Fudan University

Department of Spanish Language and Literature, 

Fudan University

This seminar presents the preliminary findings of a research project investigating the evolution of Brazil's digital economy, with a specific focus on the software development and information technology services workforce.

The study is grounded in the premise that the transition to Industry 4.0 and increasing digitalization are intrinsically linked to innovation-driven economic development. Accordingly, this research traces the evolution of software—both from the dedicated Software Industry (SI) and developed in-house by firms (IHS)—in the recent period and analyzes its sectoral configuration.

A key contribution of this work is its innovative methodology, which enables a comprehensive mapping of these occupations across sectors. This approach holds significant potential for replication in other national contexts, facilitating future comparative studies. While the broader research project encompasses a comparative perspective with China, this presentation will focus on the Brazilian case. The objective is to characterize the evolution of Brazil's digital economy and to lay the groundwork for future comparative analysis, particularly concerning the transition to a new techno-economic paradigm and the role of software in economic development.