The IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific will hold a seminar with one of the authors of an IMF Staff Discussion Note on “Industrial Policies: Handle with Care”. Industrial policies (IPs) are increasingly implemented, necessitating a reassessment of their benefits and costs. This staff discussion note examines their economic and geopolitical drivers and their impact on targeted sectors. While IPs yield moderate and uneven economic gains, they are more effective when addressing highly-distorted upstream sectors with suitable tools. Structural reforms generally offer greater benefits and strengthen the link between IPs and economic performance. However, IPs may lead to significant fiscal costs and unintended spillovers, potentially accelerating economic fragmentation. Therefore, careful management of IPs is crucial.
Date & Time: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Japan Time (GMT+9)
Format: Online (Webex)
Language: English
How to join: Registration is required. Please register here
Agenda:
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | |
| 10:00 AM | Opening Takashi Nagaoka, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF |
| 10:05 AM | Presentation by Samuel Pienknagura, Senior Economist, Research Department, IMF |
| 10:35 AM | Q&A session |
| 10:55 AM | Closing & post-event survey |
Speakers' Biographies:
Samuel Pienknagura is a Senior Economist at the IMF’s Research Department. Before that, he worked at the IMF's Regional Studies Division for the Western Hemisphere. Prior to joining the IMF, he was Senior Economist at the World Bank, where he worked at the Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean and was country economist for Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. He holds a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Master’s degree from CEMFI, and a BA degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interests are International Economics and Macroeconomics, with a focus on developing economies.
