Implicaciones del offshoring y nearshoring en la competitividad industrial del sector automotriz y electrónico en América Latina 2019-2023.

Abstract

This research analyzes the implications of offshoring and nearshoring on industrial competitiveness in Latin America during the period 2019-2023, with a special focus on Ecuador. It addresses the strategic shift from traditional offshoring to nearshoring driven by global changes such as the pandemic and trade tensions, highlighting Latin America's potential as a nearby destination for production relocation. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining documentary analysis, theoretical review, and semi-structured interviews with experts from the public, private, and academic sectors in Ecuador. Findings emphasize the opportunity nearshoring represents to diversify the regional economy and generate quality employment, while underscoring the need for comprehensive public policies to strengthen infrastructure, technical training, and legal security in Ecuador. The importance of public-private collaboration, modernization of free trade zones, and regional integration for positioning the country within global value chains is highlighted. Lastly, a forward-looking perspective stresses the necessity to overcome structural challenges to capitalize on nearshoring's potential and promote sustainable industrial development.