the role of STI policies in sustainable development of

MICs: implications for the post-2015 development

agendaMichael Lim

Policy Review Section Science, Technology and ICT Branch

UNCTAD-DTL

MinskRegional Conference on the middle–income countries

perspective on sustainable development in CIS, Eastern and Southern Europe

16 May 2013

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Outline

• STI and innovation capacity • National and global challanges• MICs and middle-income trap• Current development agenda• Post-2015 development agenda • Conclusions

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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?

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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