Publication: Supporting Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean : Successful Examples of Technology Transfer Promotion
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2010-11
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2012-08-13
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Limited innovation in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries impairs the region's potential to grow and improve its living standards. Ever since the seminal research of Solow (1957), economists have known that technological change, and not only factor accumulation, is critical to growth. Yet, productivity growth in the region is lagging. The region does not invest sufficiently in innovation nor does it always use scarce resources efficiently. With the exception of Brazil, the majority of countries in LAC invest less in research and development (R&D) than other countries with similar income levels. Moreover, less than 50 percent of R&D investments are financed by private industry, which contrasts with the experience of dynamic global innovators such as China, Korea, and the United States. Public funding of research in LAC has emphasized the generation of conceptual knowledge but has been less efficient at energizing technological innovation such as the production of patents. Collaboration between industry and universities is limited, hindering the transformation of new knowledge into innovation. Universities and industry face different incentives and cultures discouraging productive research collaboration. This brief includes the following heading: developing technology transfer offices to leverage research for public benefit; strategic R&D alliances between industry and research centers; and strategic technology extension mechanisms for low technology firms.
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“Lasagabaster, Esperanza; Reddy, Rekha. 2010. Supporting Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean : Successful Examples of Technology Transfer Promotion. en breve; No. 164. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10144 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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