Lines of research
Growth, distribution and trade in the First Globalization
The aim is to characterize the development of the Uruguayan economy during the First Globalization and its expressions in terms of economic integration, institutional framework and technological progress, with special focus on comparisons with other economies of recent European settlement and Latin American countries.
Institutions and incentive mechanisms for investment and innovation
This line focuses on the institutional dimension of development, with special interest in property rights, contract enforcement and its influence on the accumulation of capital and the generation of new knowledge applied to production.
Historical National Accounts
The purpose is to propose GDP calculations, by component, for the “pre-statistical” period (1870-1955), consistent with Uruguayan official figures, defined on the expenditure, production and income sides. In addition to being able to count on historical estimates of the entire National Accounts system, this effort will allow studying in depth the structural transformation of the economy in its diverse dimensions (output, employment, productivity).
Regional economic performance and economic geography
The aim is to calculate long-term information on different economic variables at regional level in Uruguay and the interpretation of territorial development in historical perspective. In particular, our analysis focus on the identification of the processes that determined the geographical location of production and income and advancing in the comparative analysis of Latin American countries.
Inequality and growth in the long 20th century
Currently, Inequality and its diverse dimensions, in a long-term perspective, represents one of the most dynamic issues in Economic History. Our contributions and advances refer to estimates of functional income distribution and wealth –levels and distribution– between the end of the 20th century and the 1960s.
Natural resources, sustainability and long-term development
The discussion on development sustainability is a field of research of increasing importance in the economic discipline. The issue is particularly important in an economy such as Uruguay in which natural resources historically constituted a source of growth and development. The focus of our research is on the analysis of the Uruguayan agricultural sector in a Latin American perspective and the calculation and interpretation of genuine savings in terms of development sustainability.