Abstract:

The ceramics industry is one of the most important in Norte de Santander, contributing approximately 13% of the Department's GDP, generating employment and boosting the economy throughout its value chain. Its natural market consisted of clients from Venezuela, whose sales disappeared in 2015, with the closing of the border due to political and economic differences between the two countries. Currently, the sector faces great challenges to reinvent itself and look for other markets, especially in countries with which there are trade agreements and where there may be export opportunities. The loss of the Venezuelan market generated many difficulties not only in the business order, but also in economic and social aspects such as unemployment, informality, and a decrease in income to the state treasury. Therefore, the responsibility to reconfigure is not only of the businessmen but also of the Government and the universities. In this context, this research aims to analyze the current state of the sector and propose strategic guidelines for its development. The triple helix theory, consisting of the strategic cooperation between the Company, the State and the University, is used as the center of discussion. The qualitative method was used for the research and in-depth interviews were conducted in the field. The productive sector under study is made up of 72 organizations located in Norte de Santander (Colombia). According to the findings, it can be affirmed that a common agenda between the company, the state and the university on promotion, research and development, financial leverage and human resources training can be decisive in the productive development of the sector.

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