Strategies to Boost the Industrial Sector’s Share of GDP and Curb Deindustrialization in Brazil

Deindustrialization undermines economic performance in both advanced and emerging economies, yet few empirical studies translate expert knowledge into concrete industrial-policy priorities. This article identifies and ranks strategies for increasing the Brazilian industrial sector’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) and reversing the country’s deindustrialization trend. We first applied the DPSIR (Driving Forces–Pressures–State–Impact–Responses) framework to structure insights from specialists in economics, public law, scientific research, and public- and private-sector management who are directly involved in industrial development. We then used the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision method to order the recommended actions by implementation urgency. The results produce a clear hierarchy of policy measures, with the highest priority accorded to establishing a coherent medium-term industrial-planning agenda that reflects Brazil’s present structural position. To our knowledge, this is the first study to integrate DPSIR and TOPSIS for the formulation and prioritization of national reindustrialization strategies, offering a replicable approach for economies facing premature deindustrialization.