Transcript Document

the role of STI policies in
sustainable development of
MICs: implications for the post2015 development agenda
Michael Lim
Policy Review Section
Science, Technology and ICT Branch
UNCTAD-DTL
Minsk
Regional Conference on the middle–income countries
perspective on sustainable development in CIS, Eastern and
Southern Europe
16 May 2013
Outline
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STI and innovation capacity
National and global challanges
MICs and middle-income trap
Current development agenda
Post-2015 development agenda
Conclusions
Innovative Capabilities and Income
(from UNCTAD LDCR 2007)
Real per capita income and innovative capabilities, 2001
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Why STI is important
• Building strong STI capabilities,
accessing foreign technologies and
building strong national systems of
innovation are important for:
-economic growth
-social welfare
-environmental challenges (sustainability)
-economic development
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STI applications: many
-improving productivity
-increasing value added
-diversifying production
-mitigating/adapting to climate change
-developing and diffusing new energy sources
-building infrastructure
-conserving water in agriculture
-improving public services (health, education)
-addressing disease epidemics
-organizing mega-cities (smart urban planning, sustainable
cities)
-early warning systems for natural disasters (tsunamis,
hurricanes)
-adapting buildings for earthquake prone zones
-slowing desertification etc.
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National and global challenges
• International competitiveness
• Growth and employment (inclusive growth)
• Natural resource sustainability (sustainable
development)
• Food security – food crises, malnutrition, starvation
• Climate change
• Energy security – fossil fuels and RETs
• Water security
• Natural resource depletion
• Malthusian trap?
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MICs: Middle Income trap?
• Cannot compete on low cost production
• Must compete based on innovation
• Must build STI base, innovation
capabilities, access technologies
• Diversify into more skill- and
knowledge-intensive production
activities, increase value added
• Requires STI policy action as part of
development policy agenda
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Current MDGs inadequate
• STI central to achieving many MDGs or
development goals
• Eg. poverty (jobs-production nexus),
hunger (agriculture-food-income nexus)
• BUT…MDGs barely mention STI
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Post 2015 development agenda
implications
• STI must be fully integrated into DA
• Include technological learning, innovation
capacity, access to technologies
• Structural economic change also important in
DA, as well as social development and
sustainability
• Science, technology and innovation must be
harnessed for sustainable development
• Process of development and specific goals
both important
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Conclusion
• Many development challenges; STI badly
needed in solutions
• Innovation capacity key for MICs to escape
middle-income trap
• STI must be better integrated into post-2015
DA
• Need discussion on how best to achieve this
• Processes of developemnt important – also,
how to specify goals
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