What is the economic process called when state-owned industries are sold to private investors?

The economic process being described is known as privatization. This refers to the transfer of ownership of state-owned enterprises or assets to private investors. The objective of privatization is often to increase efficiency, enhance competition, and stimulate economic growth by allowing private entities to manage and operate resources. This can lead to innovations and improvements that might not occur under state control due to bureaucracy or lack of competition.

Nationalization, in contrast, is the process of taking privately-owned industries or assets into state ownership, which is the opposite of privatization. Monopolization involves the consolidation of market power in a single entity, limiting competition, while regulation pertains to the oversight of industries and practices by the government to ensure fair practices and protect the public interest, neither of which applies directly to the sale of state-owned industries. Thus, privatization is specifically focused on the sale to private investors, making it the correct choice in this context.