Innovation for all? Legitimizing science, technology and innovation policy in unequal societies

Most of the policy lessons concerning Science, Technology, Innovation (STI) policy promoted by international organizations derive from the experience of industrialized countries. The realities in later industrializing countries are different: inequality rates remain high, while poverty and redistribution dominate their political agendas. As a means to socio-economic development STI policy has increasingly gained importance in public policy in the developing world. This thesis seeks to understand how governments in later industrializing countries with high rates of inequality (LICHIR) legitimize and develop their STI policies. The author argues that governments in LICHIR face multiple and competing policy burdens. To overcome these burdens, political actors try to legitimize and to develop their STI policy responding to both domestic and international driving forces. These policy forces are fuelled by three sources of legitimacy: internationalization, technonationalism and social development.
Evidence derives from a comparative analysis of the STI policy processes in South Africa and Brazil from 1990- 2010. Quantitative and qualitative data come from the Global Innovation Index, policy and research documents and a sample of 99 interviews with actors in government, industry and academia.