The technological innovation process in Latin America in the nineties. Criteria for the defining of indicators

Abstract

This article introduces a brief description of the conceptual debate ever innovation processes, emphasizing particularly the features these processes show in developing countries. The authors also include some observations with the purpose of contributing to the success of efforts started in Latin America for the construction of innovation indicators that are reliable and adapted to the specific needs of the region. The explicit goal of these efforts aimed at achieving a greater uniformity in concepts and definitions, as well as in the availability of a common data base that allows for comparisons, can be enriched by promoting a greater conscience in the region regarding the crucial role that knowledge advances in the learning of the characteristics and trends of technological change can have over economic development.