Abstract
This paper is a contribution to the discussion on Innovation for Development. It is argued that
innovation strategies in developing countries are the result of competing policy and contextual
factors. In exploring this theme, it suggests that innovation strategies which are shaped by domestic
market and policy realities are more robust and contribute towards improving the country-level
performance of enterprises. The paper has seven sections which include a brief review of the
literature related to innovation strategies in developing countries; a small discussion of success
factors and policies of countries that offer good experiences and lessons in applying innovation
strategies; a part on what policy implications to draw from the literature and the success stories for
less developed countries; and a final section on the role of the donor countries in facilitating the
implementation of the innovation strategies. The paper puts forward some tentative conclusions that
summarise what has been learnt from the paper and affirms that the innovation-systems based
strategies are indeed internationally replicable. The resulting policy and developmental frameworks
will invariably exhibit high levels of variation. These differences emerge primarily from the systemic
approach encouraged by the use of innovation policy. Secondly, the innovation-systems approaches
ensure adaptability whilst maintaining methodological rigour. It also enables comparability and
thereby also promotes appropriate and relevant benchmarking. Finally, the innovation-systems
paradigm has a normative capacity to dynamically absorb and respond to the needs and demands of
locally-specified domestic contexts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001623 |
| Date | 01 August 2009 |
| Creators | R, Maharajh, E, Kraemer-Mbula |
| Contributors | Science Policy Research Unit, Sussex University |
| Publisher | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Relation | Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, Faculty of Economics and Finance, Tshwane University of Technology, |
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