Les APL au Brésil : une adaptation opportune des SPL ࢰ la française ?

In Brazil, since the years 2000, an increasing interest in industrials clusters designed as arranjos productivos locais (APL) is observed. They are quite similar to the French local production systems better known under the acronym SPL especially due to former DATAR initiatives in late 20th century. While the number of Brazilians studies on APL has been constantly increasing, DATAR was turning into DIACT by putting the focus especially on « competitivity poles ». Will Brazilians scholars and praticioners switch their interest for this new concept by giving up their interest in APL? If so, it would mean that the infatuation for the APL was above all a fad. However, given the specific situation of a country like Brazil, it is relevant to verify to what extent the concept of industrial clusters is, more than in many industrial countries, adapted to this country’s realities. The purpose of this article is to call into question the concept of industrial cluster thru the international and Brazilian literature, in addition to our own field work,in order to evaluate the relevancy of the importance taken by the APL in regional development policies that are being put forward in various Brazilian States.