Suape: novo polo de crescimento?

The aim of this paper is to analyze the Suape's region, from Hirschman's ideas on regional development strategies and Perroux´s approach of growth poles, seeking to understand the role of this region as an inducer of regional development. In addition, there will be a case study about the potential economic impacts of the construction phase of the Abreu e Lima Oil Refinery (RNEST), considered here as the motive industry´s core. In this regard, we used the Interregional Input-Output Matrix of Northeast and States (GUILHOTO et al., 2010), base year 2004. The main results showed that the Suape´s region presents evidence for the formation of a possible growth pole. The RNEST´s construction phase could increase by 1.14% the total production of Pernambuco, 32.8% of total state employment, considering the entire construction period (2007-2014), and can generate up to R$ 4 billion of additional income in the state economy. On the other hand, the spillover effects of these investments were higher for the rest of Brazil than for the rest of Northeast, which represents an incipient economic integration with a view to regional development.