Knowledge and Innovation for Development: The Sisyphus Challenge of the 21st Century

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to the many different issues related to the Sisyphean task of building science and technology capabilities in developing countries. It attempts to answer crucial questions including: how can knowledge be utilized to improve the human condition, and how can we bridge the growing knowledge divide between those who produce and use modern science and technology - and those who do not?Francisco Sagasti examines the complex interactions between science, technology and development through history, explores how capabilities in these areas are created in different countries and places the role of international co-operation in perspective. The book then introduces a 'science and technology capability index' to rank countries, analyses the policy implications of the place they occupy, and summarizes the experience of developing countries in formulating science and technology policies. It concludes with a review of important lessons for the future. This highly innovative and original work will strongly appeal to academics, policymakers, development practitioners and students interested in the role of knowledge and innovation in contemporary society, and in the disparities between developed and developing countries.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface Introduction 1. Knowledge, Technology and Production: A Conceptual Framework 2. A Brief Historical Perspective 3. The Knowledge Explosion and its Manifestations 4. The Knowledge Divide and Disparities in Developing Country Capacities 5. Strategies and Policies for Building an Endogenous Science and Technology Base Concluding Remarks Appendix 1: Comparison between the Science and Technology Capacity Index and Other Indexes Appendix 2: Science, Technology and Development: The Imperative of Social Innovation Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Francisco Sagasti, Director of the think-tank, Agenda: PERÚ, Lima, Peru, Visiting Professor, University for Peace, Costa Rica, and advisor to governments, international organizations, academic institutions and private corporations.

Review :
'Francisco Sagasti is both a deep scholar and a policy analyst of exceptional practical significance. From his work at the World Bank to the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government, to his intellectual leadership in Peru, he has made a steady flow of valuable contributions. He has extraordinary understanding of the relevance of knowledge, skill, and freedom for socioeconomic development. This book is a treasure.' 'A landmark study that will inspire practitioners as much as it will inspire further research on the role of technology in economic change. A powerful reminder to policymakers on the importance of creativity as a source of economic renewal.' 'Knowledge and Innovation for Development is a splendid piece of scholarship, which no-one else could possibly have written. It brings together an astonishing array of writers and ideas and it is beautifully written.'