NEW: MERIT/UNU-INTECH PhD Seminar Series Launched. Call for papers

Research in Focus

The Story of Vanilla in Kerala: Shifting from Sector-Forgetting to Sector-Learning
UNU-INTECH is coordinating several interrelated studies to investigate the rapidly growing niche agricultural sectors that have emerged due to stronger integration into global markets or changes in domestic food systems. Andy Hall reflects on the case of the vanilla sector in Kerala, India, and highlights ways in which external interventions can boost local learning and contribute to poverty reduction. More …

Towards WSIS II : MERIT Extends Open Source Project
The EC funded FLOSSPOLS project at MERIT has led to FLOSSWorld, a study of 8 non-EU developing countries that is expected to yield valuable additional data on government use of, and policy towards free/libre/open source software (FLOSS) and on FLOSS communities as systems for skills development, employment generation and technology transfer. Additional studies will cover Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, South Africa, China, India and Malaysia. The project is coordinated by MERIT researcher Rishab A Ghosh.
Download paper: "Licence fees and GDP per capita: The case for open source in developing countries"

Book launch
Regulating Bioprospecting: Institutions for Drug Research, Access and Benefit-Sharing, by Padmashree Gehl Sampath (UNU Press, Forthcoming June 2005)
More than a decade after the coming into force of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ‘biodiverse' developing countries are yet to cash-in on their ‘green gold'. An expert panel has been convened by UNU-INTECH and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development to debate strategies that developing countries can adopt to attract investments in drug research and development based on genetic resources. Read news release ...

Training and Capacity Building

• UNU-INTECH is providing support for a national consultation process that will develop a biopharmaceutical system of innovation for Nigeria. This follows the conclusion of a sector study jointly carried out with the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), and funded by IDRC, Canada. The project is coordinated by Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka.
• The third UNU-INTECH training course in the Design and Evaluation of Innovation Policy (DEIP) will take place from 23 - 27 May 2005 . The course is designed for senior policymakers and technical advisers in relevant ministries and support institutions.
• As part of its collaborative project with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) based in the Netherlands, UNU-INTECH recently provided support for three ACP regional consultations on Enhancing the S&T Policy Dialogue: Innovation for Development?

Other News and Events

The physical integration of UNU-INTECH and MERIT - the second step in a phased process towards an eventual merger - has been completed. This involved the relocation of 30 MERIT research staff and PhD students to the INTECH building. Read press release on the proposed merger.

Getting acquainted: An INTECH/MERIT dinner

Research Seminar: “Towards African Systems of Innovation: Reframing Development Theory to Provide Real Answers to the African Dilemma.” Mammo Muchie, Director of the Research Centre on Development and International Relations (DIR), University of Aalborg, Denmark, criticized current development approaches for not paying adequate attention to the creation of productive wealth. He urged academics to take the lead in shifting away from the notion of a ‘despairing Africa ' to imagining a ‘hopeful Africa.' View presentation slides (PDF 221kb).
Professor Muchie is one of the convenors of this year's GLOBELICS conference taking place in South Africa later this year.
A paper containing Professor Muchie's analytical framework will be posted here shortly.

Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka has been invited to join the NEPAD Experts' Working Group on Indicators. The team is charged with developing a comprehensive programme for African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII).

New Publications

Doloreux, D. and S. Parto. 2005. “Regional Innovation Systems: Current Discourse and Unresolved Issues”, Technology in Society, 27:2, pp. 133-154.

Parto, Saeed. 2005. “Economic Activity and Institutions: Taking Stock”. Journal of Economic Issues , 39:1, pp. 21-52.

UNU Policy Brief, Number 1, 2005. Regulating Bioprospecting: Institutions for Drug Research, Access and Benefit-Sharing (PDF 397 KB). By Padmashree Gehl Sampath, March 2005.

Rasiah, Rajah. 2004. Foreign Firms, Technological Capabilities and Economic Performance : Evidence from Africa, Asia and Latin America, Edward Elgar.

Mani, Sunil. 2004. “Government, Innovation and Technology Policy: An International Comparative Analysis,” Int. J. Technology and Globalization, 1:1, pp. 29-44.