Transitioning from a Command Driven to a Market Driven Economy: A Methodology Used to Assist Poland’s Packaging Industry

This paper contributes to industrial development methodology by advancing a simple matrix that can be used to assist policy makers to determine priorities for developing different sectors (Strategic Industry Units or SIUs) of their economies. It presents the matrix, illustrates how it was used to help the Polish government set priorities for which sectors/subsectors of the packaging industry it should support with industrial policy initiatives and how they were determined. It also explores some of the government policies and programs that were suggested to support industry SIUs adjudged to be attractive, but that were not competitive yet could be made to become so.