Dynamics of innovation in vegetal biotechnology. The cases of two firms in Argentina and France

Authors

  • Pablo Pellegrini Instituto de Estudios sobre la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; CCTS, Universidad Maimónides; CONICET

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48160/18517072re32.292

Keywords:

plant biotechnology, gmo, scientific labor division

Abstract

Plant biotechnology is a fertile field for social studies of science regarding the controversies of genetically modified organisms. But it is also a privileged context for the study of international division of scientific labor in the industrial sector, for inquiring the sort of research developed by firms of plant biotechnology.
Despite vegetal biotechnology field is dominated by a few firms, there are others that also try to produce their own genetically modified seeds.
Dynamics of research and innovation within firms devoted to development of transgenic crops are scarcely studied. In private sector, devoted to the search for profit, parameters that define these dynamics are different from academy: firms must take into account strategies, research funding, market conditions and public opinion (especially important in the domain of biotechnology).
The purpose of this article is to characterise the modes of innovation in agri-biotechnology firms which are not the dominant ones, by analysing enterprises in Argentina and France. These two firms show that innovation in this field it’s a dynamic factor, variable according the context in which they develop. Basic research is assured by public sector alone or by participation of private enterprise. On the other hand, international division of labor in the field of innovation does not respond to a simple model of North-South. On the contrary, it relies on particular conditions of each country and of global interests of the firms.

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Published

2011-06-15

How to Cite

Pellegrini, P. (2011). Dynamics of innovation in vegetal biotechnology. The cases of two firms in Argentina and France. Redes. Journal of Social Studies of Science and Technology, 17(32), 39–63. https://doi.org/10.48160/18517072re32.292