Targeting Infrastructure Projects, Innovative Technologies and Financing Options to Achieve Sustainable Economic Growth in Resource-Based Economies

This chapter evaluates different approaches and potential solutions for the seemingly intractable
stagnation or decline of a country or region. It focuses on economic development in a resource-based
economy that may have structural problems due to a lack of diversification. Infrastructure, strategic
debt, and innovation are evaluated, with a goal of developing a balanced approach that strategically
leverages existing infrastructure for a diversified economy and sustainable growth for resource-based
economies. It includes expanding financing opportunities in these countries with a combination of
infrastructure policies and energy technologies and capturing the opportunities using supply chain
technologies. The goals are to avoid both “debt traps” and “Dutch Disease” by leveraging existing
infrastructure within a plan that incorporates supply chain management the prudent use of available
financing and strategic partnership, such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision
2030. Finally, the chapter contains an analysis of Argentina’s economic problems explains how a
current plan to build infrastructure and to develop innovative technology could provide a foundation for
renewed economic growth and human capital development.