IRIBA Working Paper: 03. Technological Catch-up and Indigenous Institutional Infrastructures in Latecomer Natural Resource-related Industries: An Exploration of the Role of EMBRAPA in Brazil바카라 사이트™s Soybeans and Forestry-based Pulp and Paper Industries
Abstract
This article reports the results of an exploratory study on the role of indigenous institutional infrastructures in the accumulation of world-leading innovative capabilities (technological catch-up) in natural resource-related industries in the context of developing/emerging economies. These issues are examined from the perspective of the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (EMBRAPA) and Brazil바카라 사이트™s soybeans and forestry-based pulp and paper industries. This article suggests that: (1) EMBRAPA has been providing, in different ways, an effective contribution to technological catch-up and international competitiveness of these two industries over the past decades; (2) One important aspect of EMBRAPA바카라 사이트™s effectiveness has been its research orientation to specific local needs and demands; (3) However, the innovative process led by EMBRAPA is far from linear but based on systemic interactions with diverse components of the indigenous institutional infrastructure and industry partners; (4) In the case of the soybeans industry, there is a growing need for EMBRAPA to work on the basis of networked partnerships, especially with subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs); (5) Innovative activities that have been generating significant impact on productivity growth do not necessarily reflect only R&D efforts, but effective creative imitation efforts; (6) Finally, the article challenges negative and pessimistic views on the contribution of natural resource-related industries to industrial development by demonstrating some benefits that can be achieved from efforts on consistent innovative activities in these industries. The emulation of Brazil바카라 사이트™s experience with innovation and competitiveness in the soybeans and forestry-based industries by African developing/emerging economies will depend on the manner in which they will develop their industry-level technological capabilities with systemic institutional infrastructures.
Citation
Figueiredo, P.N. IRIBA Working Paper: 03. Technological Catch-up and Indigenous Institutional Infrastructures in Latecomer Natural Resource-related Industries: An Exploration of the Role of EMBRAPA in Brazil’s Soybeans and Forestry-based Pulp and Paper Industries. International Research Initiative on Brazil and Africa (IRIBA), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK (2014) 49 pp.
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