Presentation on Science, technology and innovation ������������ �����������������������������������
Basic premises • STI development nexus • LDCs are lagging behind • Acquiring new technologies is important • Building domestic capacity and a knowledge base • promoting indigenous capacity for research and development • Bridge the digital divide and technology gap • Supporting rapid poverty eradication and sustainable development
Key Decisions of the IPoA • Establishment of a Technology Bank • Establishment of a Science, Technology and Information supporting mechanism • Improving least developed countries’ scientific research and innovation base • Helping least developed countries access and utilize critical technologies • Draw together bilateral initiatives and support by multilateral institutions and the private sector
Actions by LDCs • Build or expand strategic partnerships with a broad range of actors • Mainstreaming Science and Technology into least developed country’s national development and sectoral policies • priority in budget allocation for development of science, technology and innovation • Promoting investments in innovative solutions for the development of modern and cost-effective technologies • Building institutions and expand the knowledge base • collaboration between research institutions and the private sector
Actions by the development partners • Enhanced financial and technical support to LDCs research and development, science and technology • Implementing article 7 of the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health • Conessional start-up finance for least developed country firms which invest in new technologies. • Implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement (Para 66 action by the development partners f)
South-South Cooperation (Para 139) • Promotion of least developed countries’ access to and transfer of technology through South-South cooperation • Improving technology cooperation arrangements with least developed countries, such as the Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South • Broader technological developments such as technological management capabilities and information networks
Focus of ODA for STI • Aid for STI is a low priority for donors (disbursed aid for research and advanced and specific skills in LDCs was $728 million 2003- 2005 – 3.6 per cent of total disbursements). • Aid commitments for agricultural research extension and education are falling • Aid for non-agricultural STI virtually ignored • STI policy capacity-building in LDCs ignored
Aid commitments for STI in LDCs (avg. annual, $ million) 1998-2000 2003-2005 Total research 85 87 Agricultural research 65 32 Industrial technology and R&D 1 7 Medical research 5 26 Environmental research 1 16 Advanced/specific human skills 329 740 Agricultural extension 14 12 Agricultural education and training 23 10 Vocational training 67 99 Technical and managerial skills 16 16 Higher education 141 428 Research institutions 10 37
Way forward • Innovative uses of development aid focusing on STI • A new STI fund for financing enterprise innovation in LDCs
Technology Bank Existing mechanisms Short Comings • The Consultative Group on • Not Comprehensive International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) • Not tailored to LDCs • The International Science, • Some are just providing Technology and Innovation information Center for South-South Cooperation (ISTIC) under • Acquisition of information is UNESCO only part of the whole process of technology transfer • The Access to Specialized Patent Information (ASPI) programme of WIPO
Possible Terms of Reference of the Technology Bank • Technological needs assessment to ensure local demands in LDCs • Search for available appropriate technologies • Creating a virtual database for available technologies • Supporting appropriate technology transfer to LDCs • Capacity building • Mobilizing resources for financing the technology transfer
Science, Technology and Information (STI) supporting mechanism • Awareness building for the importance of knowledge capital; • facilitating joint learning—through exchange of information and experiences, peer-to-peer learning between experts, organizations and agencies from LDCs and other countries with recent and on- going development experiences; • providing a knowledge commons; • supporting concerted action, to strengthen and enhance knowledge-based infrastructures in LDCs; • Undertaking research and development; and • Establishing a relatively low-cost, efficient, highly accessible mechanism for information-sharing that deploys the full array of modern means communication and networking; and • Providing a common forum where all different kinds of stakeholders can network and work together to help the LDCs increase their knowledge base;
Concessional start-up finance for least developed country firms Start-up finance for innovation and technologies: Potential sources • Bootstrapping, Friends and Family, Bank, Grants (Small Business Innovation Research grant (SBIR)), Venture Capital etc. • None of them are easy for small and medium-sized firms in LDCs.
A Proposal for an International Spark Initiative for LDCs • National Innovation Fund financed through International Transfers (ODA); • Grants to domestic SMEs for innovative activities-equipment modernization, technology transfer from abroad, development of technological capabilities, training, R&D; • Financing bundled with business support services; and • A multi-donor trust fund
Article 66.2 of TRIPS Developed Country Members shall provide incentives to enterprises and institutions in their territories for the purpose of promoting and encouraging technology transfer to least-developed country members in order to enable them to create a sound and viable technological base.
Article 66.2 of TRIPS • Agree on a common definition of technology transfer and a list of programmes/policies that do and do not qualify as such • Agree on common, comparable metrics for measuring the extent to which the incentives have their intended effect; • Use a uniform reporting format that will be comparable across countries and time periods • Indicate whether and how reported incentives are • additional to business as usual practices
Article 66.2 of TRIPS • Assess and report on the extent to which effective technology transfer is contributing to building a sound and viable technological base, identifying gaps where access to technology remains difficult • Submit regular reports detailing successful and unsuccessful developed country incentives, with the aim of building a set of recommended practices from the perspective of technology transferees.
Support through S-S Cooperation • Knowledge- and experience sharing, training and technology transfer • Share and replicate each other‘s experiences in finding a “southern solution” • Establishment of regional and sub-regional technological and technical hubs for sharing experiences and models at the regional and interregional levels • Co-operation and communication between public enterprises and institutions between developing countries and LDCs
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