State-owned enterprises as drivers for regional missions in the Global South: insights from INVAP in Patagonia and Agrogenética Riojana in Northwest Argentina

Abstract This article addresses the lack of empirical evidence on the implementation of mission-oriented policies (MOPs) at the regional level by presenting two case studies from Argentina. It examines how subnational state-owned enterprises (SOEs) drive MOPs in peripheral regions, focusing on INVAP, a highly successful SOE of Río Negro, Patagonia, and Agrogenética Riojana, a young but well-established SOE of La Rioja, Northwest Argentina, the country’s most disadvantaged region. Drawing on a conceptual framework to assess SOEs’ productive resources and dynamic capabilities, this study contributes to the discussion on MOP implementation at the regional level, offering novel insights for Global South contexts.