Innovation and Development in Latin America

The development process of Latin America countries has been extremely slow, irregular and unequal. High social inequality and structural heterogeneity continue to be pervasive obstacles to the economic and social progress of the region. This entry analyses the relation between science, technology and innovation (STI) and development. It examines the role that STI can play in overcoming the long-term development challenges of Latin America. The focus is placed on two broad and different strands of literature. The first constitutes an interdisciplinary field consisting of a variety of innovation studies. The second is founded on the Latin American structuralist tradition. While both approaches have evolved along different lines of investigation, the research undertaken by academia in Latin America has provided the initial foundations for their convergence.