What is the secondary sector?

The secondary sector is in charge of transforming raw materials, those that find their origin in the primary sector. For this reason, the secondary sector is a sector that is dedicated to the handling of these raw materials using specific and qualified machinery.

In this definition of the secondary sector, we must therefore bear in mind that this sector is completely dependent on the primary sector, and is completely linked to industrial production and construction.

Characteristics of the secondary sector

The secondary sector uses energy sources to develop its activity. That is its main peculiarity, although we find other characteristics of the secondary sector that are just as important:

• Contrary to what it may seem, the secondary sector needs human talent to function, although machinery is one of its maxims, especially in the development of more complex activities.
• The secondary sector is promoted with legal and state measures to promote industry in those spaces or regions that have not yet been industrialized.
• The secondary sector resorts to third sector as a source of financing and obtaining income.
• Capital and labor are the two most important factors in this sector.

What are the activities of the secondary sector?

The activity par excellence of the secondary sector is industry, but construction, energy and, once again, mining activity are key in this activity.

Industry

The industrial fabric is made up of workshops, factories as well as manufactures whose objective is to transform a raw material into a final product that can be consumed by people through the tertiary sector. Since the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism, this activity began to develop up to as we know it today, the last most important industrial process being the one that involves technological and computer development. To do this, you need energy.

Energy

The energy which allows transforming and converting said raw material into good, service or product that will later be consumed and for this you want, above all, electricity.

Minerals

The purpose of this activity is to analyze where are the minerals and those materials that are extracted and exploited both from the ground and the subsoil.

Construction

Construction is linked to the process that allows creating and transforming a space. Construction is something so complex that it ranges from the structuring of the home and its construction to the creation of a factory.

Handicraft

We cannot forget about this activity, despite the fact that today it is on a very small scale, handicrafts were the prelude to industry and large-scale production.