Weak knowledge demand in the South: learning divides and innovation policies

Many developing countries confront serious problems in benefitting from the advancement of knowledge; a main difficulty being to expand the learning processes. Related policies have been jeopardized by weak market demand for knowledge. Both supply-side and demand-side science and technology and innovation policies have thus been below expectations. This paper argues that to reverse this long trend, current policies can profitably be complemented by a set of innovation policies conceived as social policies, which can simultaneously answer a strong social demand for knowledge and expand endogenous innovative capabilities.