Industrial Policy for Development Amidst slower global growth, a shifting labor market, and rising protectionism, governments are increasingly turning to a once controversial tool—industrial policy. Date & Time June 02, 2026 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM ET Location World Bank Headquarters (Room MC 13-121) and Online © 2026 World Bank Group,

https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2026/06/02/industrial-policy-for-development Amidst slower global growth, a shifting labor market, and rising protectionism, governments around the world are increasingly turning to a once controversial policy. Industrial policy—the range of policy tools governments use to shape what an economy produces, rather than leaving it to markets alone—is back with a vengeance. Contrary to recent headlines, advanced economies are not the heaviest users of industrial policy. Developing economies use it more intensively. New evidence reveals notable differences across income groups in the scale of business subsidies, the structure of import tariffs, and the breadth of industries targeted in national development plans. In this talk, report co-authors Ana Margarida Fernandes and Tristan Reed will provide a deep dive into Industrial Policy for Development: Approaches in the 21st Century, which offers the first comprehensive guide to industrial policy for development in the 21st century. The report is distinctive in four respects: it covers 15 policy tools—well beyond the existing literature's focus on tariffs and subsidies; it provides practical guidance on design and implementation, including how to target industries and design effective institutions; it draws on new evidence from more than 60 economies; and it identifies targeted approaches for governments using industrial policy to pursue specific goals, from earning foreign exchange and creating jobs to reducing pollution and strengthening security and resilience. © 2026 World Bank Group,