Challenges for the Promotion of Innovation and R&D in Latin America: A Territorial Perspective

Abstract

This chapter aims to analyze the current state of innovation promotion, mainly from a territorial and regional perspective in Latin America. It briefly describes the historical process that led to the relevance of the regional innovation policy. Thus, it also analyzes the orientation, degree of development, maturity, and role of the organizations in charge of promoting regional innovation initiatives. It shows that each region has its own process of adapting to the new challenges of promoting innovation from the territory. The existence of factors contributing to or limiting this process is also observed, some of which may be political, technological, or even cultural. Likewise, the chapter discusses some challenges, dilemmas, and opportunities that some regions of Latin America face. It is intended, with this analysis, to present knowledge that can be useful to public or private organizations in developing countries, which seek to design strategies to promote innovation with an emphasis on the regional level.