Although most Latin American and Caribbean countries have greatly increased their exports during the early 1990s, the goal of moving towards higher value added products in their export structure is proving as elusive as during the import substitution industrialization period. This paper brings together ideas about and indicators of the region's capacity to compete in advanced industries or products in the international market-place. It develops an index of the technological specialization in the region's exports to the most sophisticated markets (i.e., the OECD countries) and accounts for variations in specialization on the basis of the performance of the national systems of innovation and the dynamics of investment in innovation. The paper is divided into five sections. After the introduction, it presents the definition and the database for calculating the technological specialization index. The third section examines long-run trends in the capacity of the region to adapt to international competition, particularly in comparison with the performance of the most developed countries (the Group of Seven), the Asian tigers (Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, China), the potential Asian tigers (China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) and the newly industrialized European countries (Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey). Data for specific Latin American and Caribbean countries are also presented. The fourth section looks into the determinants of the region's international performance in high-technology products, particularly investment in innovation by Governments and firms. These determinants are divided into those related to the functioning of national systems of innovation in the region (public policy, technological infrastructure, human capital formation, and the internal articulation of the system) and those related to investment in innovation (the aggregate expenditure on research and development (R & D) and its structure, and human resources and enterprise investment in R & D). The paper concludes by addressing policy issues that impact on the region's performance with respect to investment in innovation. In particular, it goes beyond the usual technology policy instruments and puts forward ideas regarding ways to tackle problems related to the lack of Schumpeterian entrepreneurs, asymmetrical information and the incentive system in the region's national systems of innovation.

The advent of the knowledge society has highlighted the growing importance of innovation and intellectual assets as sources of competitiveness and long-term economic growth. This book examines human capital and financial inputs into innovation systems, scientific and innovation outputs, innovative behavior by firms, the links between changes in economic structure, technological intensity, and growth, institutional development and public policy, and the status of one key crosscutting and enabling technological revolution: information and communication technology.

This book examines the implementation of science, technology and innovation (STI) policy in eight Latin American countries and the different paths these policies have taken. It provides empirical evidence to examine the extent to which STI policies are contributing to the development of the region, as well as to the solution of market failures and the stimulus of the region’s innovation systems. Since the pioneering work of Solow (1957), it has been recognized that innovation is critical for economic growth both in developed and in less-developed countries. Unfortunately Latin America lags behind world trends, and although over the last 20 years the region has established a more stable and certain macroeconomic regime, it is also clear that these changes have not been enough to trigger a process of innovation and productivity to catch-up. Against this rather grim scenario there is some optimism emerging throughout the region. After many years of inaction the region has begun to invest in science, technology and engineering once again. Furthermore, after many changes in innovation policy frameworks, there is now an emerging consensus on the need for a solution to coordination failures that hinder the interaction between supply and demand. Offering an informative and analytic insight into STI policymaking within Latin America, this book can be used by students, researchers and practitioners who are interested in the design and implementation of innovation policies. This book also intends to encourage discussion and collaboration amongst current policy makers within the region.

This collection sets out to explore technology policy in Latin America during the 1970s and 1980s. It is based on country studies and industry studies in the main Latin American economies and examines the political turmoil surrounding protected industrialisation in these countries.

This document reviews the conditions for innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and tackles the question of how innovation and technology can contribute to creating increased prosperity in these countries. The document is a contribution from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the process of policy dialogue and identification of priorities to boost cooperation in science, technology and innovation between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean. Europe has historically played a major role in the development of science, technology and higher learning in Latin America and the Caribbean. The aim of this document is to serve as the basis for a discussion of expanded opportunities for collaboration between the two regions.

Reviewing the literature and existing practices of innovation, the authors explore the often misunderstood and contested terrain that surrounds innovation theory, policy and practice. Here is a comparative insight into Latin American and European approaches to innovation management and innovation in practice, and an examination of how innovative ideas are exploited in and for a specifically Latin American context.

This volume explores the governance and management of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in relation to social inclusion and sustainability, highlighting its goal, challenges, and opportunities. Divided into two sections, it addresses the goals and institutional arrangements around sustainable development in the context of Latin American countries as well as the challenges of developing absorptive STI capacities for inclusion in the higher education institutions and systems. The chapters tackle the important role of citizen science, science diplomacy, peace building, mission-oriented policies, public innovation, institutional entrepreneurs, and policy networks. Researchers and scholars will find an opportunity to better grasp several topics and methodologies in knowledge development in the governance of STI. This interdisciplinary work presents original research on science, technology and innovation policy and governance studies in an understudied region.