Science, Technology and Innovation Are Key for Growth and Competitiveness in the World Market

(13 October 2010) According to Antonio Prado, Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC, speaking at a conference at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile: "Science, technology and innovation have become increasingly important in recent years and have become fundamental elements for growth and competitiveness in the world market".

The high-level conference entitled "The Importance of Public Policies for Innovation" was attended by science and technology ministers from many of the region's countries, as well as international experts, who analysed the various initiatives under way in this area in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The conference marked the beginning of the first School for Policymakers in Science, Technology and Innovation, which will be held at ECLAC from 13 October to 5 November to strengthen the capacities of policymakers in the management, implementation and evaluation of relevant policies.

The School has been organized by ECLAC, in conjunction with InWent -Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH (a German government entity dedicated to developing human resources and international cooperation) and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Participants included representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Uruguay.

Antonio Prado stressed that institutions and policies that shape and support innovation are key in achieving the aim of improving the well-being of citizens and bringing about inclusive and sustainable development:

"In this sense, the issue of equality is particularly important, and this year has been highlighted by ECLAC following the publication of the document Time for equality: closing old gaps, blazing new trails, during its most recent Session held in June in Brazil".

In Latin America, spending on research and development (R&D) has not changed considerably in the past decade.  Apart from in Brazil, where such spending grew from 0.5% of GDP in the mid-1990s to over 1.2% in the past year, in all other countries the average regional level has remained stable at about 0.5% of GDP.

More information on the School for Policymakers in Science, Technology and Innovation is available online.

Any queries should be addressed to the ECLAC Public Information and Web Services Section.

E-mail: dpisantiago@cepal.org; telephone: (56 2) 210 2040.