Coordination of innovation policies in the catching-up context: a historical perspective on Estonia and Brazil. (23rd March 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Karo, Erkki; Kattel, Rainer
• Is Part Of: International journal of technological learning, innovation and development. Volume 3:Number 4(2010)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 329
• Publication Date: 2011-03-23
• Subjects: innovation policy -- state capacity -- policy capacity -- catching-up economies -- policy coordination -- Estonia -- Brazil -- policy making -- governance -- technological accumulation -- technology development -- participatory innovation -- networked innovation; Organizational learning -- Periodicals; Technological innovations -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Industrial organization -- Technological innovations -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Diffusion of innovations -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; 338.064091724
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1753-1942

Abstract

This paper highlights some of the crucial weaknesses of innovation-policy-research that limit the relevance of this research for policy-making practices in catching-up countries. The paper proposes a framework that takes a multi-level and dynamic approach towards studying innovation-policy-making processes. This framework is applied herein to examine the evolution of innovation policy and governance trajectories of Estonia and Brazil and how this has affected the capacities for technological accumulation and development. The paper argues that crucial aspects of these contextual trajectories are being overlooked by standard innovation policy and governance analyses. In terms of policy implications, the paper concludes that the increasing influence of external pressures on innovation policy trajectories of catching-up countries is only reinforcing the use of narrow analytical perspectives and threatens to further de-contextualise innovation-policy-making in these countries. The spread of 'participatory' or 'networked' innovation policy models is presented as an example of these tendencies.