The Innovation System in Bolivia:Overall Perspectives

“Closing the Loop” is a project that focuses on the expectations that are linked not only to the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in development but also to its results. Its goals are to increase the relevance and utilization of research outputs, thereby enhancing the influence of researchers, organizations and institutions on the development process. The project looks, through case studies, at the research landscape and national and sector innovation system in four countries: Bolivia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. This contribution analyses the case of Bolivia. After 30 years of exercising a free-market economy, the socio-economic-political situation was drastically modified in 2006 into a scenario of transformation and institutional re-design, based on the conception that the co-existence of different economic paths have made indigenous local communities recognize that their past non capitalist economic relations was being substituted by a market logic, thus threatening their material and socio cultural bases. Mainly due to favourable international conditions and increased government spending, the country has experienced a high rate of economic growth and it is observed some improvement of social conditions. It is a matter of debate however whether or not the observed growth is sustainable. In spite of the positive changes the country remains one of the poorest in Latin American. The National Development Plan 2006-2011 adopted by the new Government, considered that education and STI are fundamental instruments of change and defined that their role will become operational through the organization of the national innovation system which should develop technological based solutions to social and productive demands combining modern technological advances with ancestral, local and popular “knowledges” and wisdom, with due respect of the environment. The national innovation system is weak as shown by several indicators. The causes for this situation are well known, lack of financial inputs, limited efforts of the business sector, weak human resource base, weak technology management, etc. There exists however research outputs of value, even if limited, in public and private research centres which are diffused by the way of scientific publications in indexed and refereed journals and technical reports and also outputs applied to specific economic and social developments, and in particular specific products. In recent years some private sector associations have become more active in promoting technology and innovation within their associates and are joining efforts with public and private universities. To face existing challenges, the Vice Ministry of Science and Technology has defined in 2014, after an ample debate with stakeholders, a “National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan and is conducting several activities leading to its objectives. At the same time the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University has made an in-depth analysis of the situation of STI in public universities and also defined a strategy towards 2015. The sector systems of innovation are operating with varying degrees of efficiency. In agriculture it is observed that the traditional agriculture production model has produced innovations, but it is criticized as not having valued the local “knowledges” and the wisdom of indigenous people, or the wealth of the existing biodiversity. The new policy approach taken at present takes distance with a view of innovation oriented towards competitiveness, value chains and productive specialization and tries to construct sustainable management of natural resources and the promotion and use of biodiversity based on an endogenous development vision and model. Health (and education) has always been considered a priority in Bolivia and consequently much effort has been placed on research, in particular within the university system, falling short of innovations however. The health sector innovation sy