Transcript Innovation in Bricss

Innovation Policy in BRICS
Helena M M Lastres
Office for local production and innovation systems and regional
development
International Seminar on Innovation and Development under Globalization:
BRICS Experience
Trivandrum, 19-21 August 2009
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
1. Lack of precision, controversy and conservatism in the
international literature
Ex. For about 40 years we know that
– ‘Innovation is much more than R&D’. However, R&D
continues to be the most used indicator for measuring
ST&I efforts internationally
– Technology change derives nor only neither mainly from
R&D and technology imports and their spillovers
(linkages). However, these issues remain at the core of
less developed countries’ policies
Importance of the approach on system of innovation which
• focus on different sources of innovation deriving from interactions
between firms and also with other economic, social and political
actors that depend on each other to produce goods and services
• should not ignore the role of indigenous knowledge and
technology (Scerri, 2009 and Liu, 2009)
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
2. Predominance of very narrow approaches
Ex. Bias towards radical innovations deriving from advances
in the scientific frontier and occurring only in high-tech
sectors, and often as a result of R&D performed by big
firms operating in DCs (correlation with patents)
Concepts are not neutral. They derive from and reflect
specific points of view and policy options
Most innovation concepts are limited to few economic
activities, actors and regions and are used in a way that
only reinforces imbalances
Innovation policies can also contribute to reduce regional
and social inequalities and exclusion (Scerri, 2009 and
Liu, 2009). Stress on gender and race inequalities and
on the importance of addressing primary and
secondary education in SA
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
2. Predominance of very narrow, outdated and rigid
approaches
Ex. Confusion between NSI and national S&T system and
between LIPSs and cluster
•
•
As the notion of cluster automatically emphasizes structured
and specialized agglomerations; its use leaves aside others
that may also require both research attention and policy
support.
The understanding and the promotion of emerging and less
structured systems can be very important in all countries.
Research effort and policies targeting industrial and
technological development cannot ignore these cases,
particularly in LDCs
The role of researches in understanding and making explicit
that some concepts can exclude by definition from the
policy agenda entire regions as well as social and
economic segments
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
3. Trend to use de–contextualized concepts, indicators and
analytical and policy models developed to a specific
context without the required adaptation and to blame and
punish local conditions not to conform to imported and
inappropriate models
Ex. Concepts as looking glasses. If one has a model of a SI
in mind and looks for the same features, elements and
dynamics in a different context, perhaps she/he will
conclude that there is no SI there and will fail to perceive
and understand local conditions
The discussion about the creation of NSIs and the
recognition of the specific characteristics of different
contexts. The fragment and disarticulated system in SA
and the alerts about its erosion as well the restrictions
imposed by the macroeconomic context (Scerri, 2009)
Context matters both in terms of understanding and
promoting innovation
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
‘History and specific territorial conditions are essential to
explain how production and innovation capabilities are
acquired, used and further developed. Analytical models,
taxonomies and policy prescriptions that disregard these
parameters put their usefulness seriously in risk’ (Lastres
and Cassiolato, Globelics 2005)
Problems of definition and innovation and innovation system
Importance of the capacity to select and use contextualized
concepts, indicators and analytical and policy models
• capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities
of each context given their geopolitical, institutional,
scientific, technological, economic, financial, social,
cultural and environmental dimensions
• that associate and articulate these dimensions
• In an inclusive way, by helping to diminish inequalities,
instead of reinforcing them
Conclusions
• The concept of national and local innovation and
production systems offers significant advantages and
represents a relevant unit of analysis for BRICSs.
• Main challenges involved in this effort still relate to the
difficulty to work with new concepts, and particularly
those aiming at capturing and evaluating creation, use
and diffusion of innovation and production capabilities in
situations of high levels of inequality and informality.
• As knowledge results from interactive learning processes
and pragmatic use has an important learning dimension,
we expect that the analysis of BRICSs´ innovation
systems will bring new light about both this concept and
the reality of the five countries and