EULAKS Policy Workshop Informing the Knowledge Society – Feeding SSH Research into Policy Design in Latin America end Europe London 23-24, September 2010 Knowledge Society Capacity Building in LA: the use of indicators Daniel Villavicencio Alberto Morales & Marcela Amaro (UAM-X)

The questions raised are: Are Latina American countries building institucional capabilities towards the KS? Are there new policies and instruments? What indicators can we use to analyse and asses the access to the KS

Knowledge Based Society Educational System -Primary Education - Tecnological and scientific education Infrastructure telephone lines Computer access -Internet users Economy -Macroeconomic Stability -R&D expediture -Innovation incentives - Public &Private Research Centers - Universities -University-Industry projects TIC´S Specialized Human Resourses S&T Policy Intelectual Property System - Patents -Hardware - Software Elements of the KS

The knowledge based society Capabilities of acquisition, stockage, production and transfering of knowlege Increasing importance of technological and organizational innovation in firms and also other institutions Employement in knowledge intensive sectors and increasing importance of these sectores in the economy (emerging sectors) HR investment, professional training, knowledge difussion, etc. More knowledge intensive services Knowledge flows & Intermadiate organizations for knowledge trasnfering New social capabilities to take advantage of knowledge (empowerment) The use of instruments to asses the performance of policy and foreseight.

What can we measure? –Which data can be picked up? – how and what for (assesment, international cooperation, benchhmark, etc.)? –Who produce data (universities, public organizations, enterprises)? –What realities do statistics repport (outputs vs dynamics)?

A problem for measurement Inputs-Stocks-outputs (Oslo, OCDE, Frascati, Bogotá, Esocyt, Camberra, Santiago) –R&D investments –Funds for innovation research & activities –S&T-Hum Ress, training and education –Patents –Publications What about processes (how to measure) ? –Learning capabilities (in SMEs) –Knowledge networks performance –Incremental innovation (inventing around, technological catching-up, industrial upgrading, products tropicalisation…) –Knowledge spill-over

What international statistics do not let us know All knowledge flows, Local language publicactions The use of traditional (non scientific knowledge) Tehnological absortion capabilities, adaptations Learning paths Impact of S&T+I Policty on social problem solving Social capabilites for knowledge absortion

Indicators in LA Hum Ress in S&T, Education Funds and $$ for S&T Infrastructure Use of Internet, TICs, Scientific production Innovation in firms, patents, R&D

Progress in Knowledge Society Indicators * Communication and education indicators ** Employment, Training and skills, Social inclusion and Security indicators *** Innovation capability, labour flexibility, e-applications, wealth and satisfaction indicators Infrastructure and resources* Socio- economics** e-Applications, outputs and markets*** Prerequisites for the Knowledge Society Outcome variables UEMxVzUrBrArCo UEMxBrUrArCoVz UEBrUrMxArCoVz Based on the existent indicators for each country

Tensions and challenges Data: National dynamics vs international comparaison (objectifs, actors, priorities, instruments…) Performance: inputs, outputs (process?) Existence of cognitive divides: Actors have different learning capabilities, while indicators attempt to standardize Between knowledge use & adaptation or knowledge creation

Integrating Social needs: complexity, asymmetries, evolution of goals… Considering Institutional logics, incentives, paths & lock-in effects Contribution to define public policy agendas in S&T+I and the use of proper INDICATORS (information platforms) Performing efficency and impact : evaluation methodologies & foresight? Towards the knowledge based society in L.A. Some challenges

What do we measure?