Peru takes in UK experience in science, technology and innovation policies
Peru’s National Council of Science and Technology (Concytec), and UK firm Technopolis, presented the report “Coordination and Governance mechanisms, the United Kingdom experience”.
The paper was presented at an event in Lima on 11 March as part of the work carried out by the British Embassy to support Peru in developing management tools that give sustainability to the national science, innovation and technology systems.
In February 2014, a delegation of government officers from the Ministry of Production, the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) , the Regional Government of Piura and Concytec , visited different science, technology and innovation public and private institutions in the UK. These visits enabled the delegation to identify the coordination mechanisms used by British institutions in the implementation of science, technology and innovation policies among governing bodies as well as national and regional institutions.
The UK firm in charge of organizing the visit and producing the paper was Technopolis. The information regarding the United Kingdom’s Science and Technology system will be used by Peruvian authorities to: write legislative briefs to promote the governance in the system between the national and regional governments; prepare strategic documents (eg. regional and sector plans, regional innovation strategies, etc.); and develop specific policy tools to promote governance, such as competitive funds financed by different institutions.
During the event, Technopolis Director Paul Simmonds highlighted the structural factors which help a country boost science, technology and innovation from the type of taxes applied the levels of formality, the ease or difficulty in establishing a business, and the strength of macroeconomic indicators.
Simmonds added that– even though there’s a lot of work to do in Peru– there are initiatives carried out by Concytec which have great potential, such as the Technology Innovations Centres and the Centres of Excellence. The Centres of Excellence will enhance companies’ knowledge of these topics and ultimately will bring innovative products and services to the market.