First concrete policies aimed at boosting R&D

By Mayora IP

The results of a study carried out by UNESCO were recently presented in Guatemala City. The study, called "Mapping of research and innovation in the Republic of Guatemala", describes the problems that affect the research and development (R&D) activity in the country. 

It was carried out by UNESCO´s Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building, and the Global Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Instruments (GO-SPIN), and funded by the National Council of Science and Technology of Guatemala and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Among its main figures, the following stand out: 0.029% of Guatemala's gross domestic product is invested in R&D related activities, while 40 years ago that percentage was 8 times bigger; On the other hand, there are currently 26.7 full-time researchers per million inhabitants in Guatemala, while 40 years ago there were 84 researchers (1).

Faced with this problem, and given the availability of the national government to reverse this situation, UNESCO´s solution proposals are focused on: addressing and increasing the percentage of GDP earmarked for R&D activities, and strengthening the national system of research and development through concrete actions that encourage different actors to converge in an active, collaborative and healthy R&D environment. 

Fortunately, the current authorities were very receptive to the recommendations that emerge from the study, so it is expected that in the near future the first concrete policies will be visible for improving, developing and growing R&D as an integral part of Guatemala. Otherwise, none of the R&D actors in Guatemala will be able to contribute, in their respective areas, to the the country's development and the improvement of the figures reflected in the study, being negatively affected for each one of them any type of potential contributions in the short, medium or long term (2).

For our part, we hope that this improvement will be translated into an increase on the number of Guatemalan patents requested both locally and internationally in the use of the PCT Treaty of which Guatemala is part. We hope as well that it helps to spread out, in parallel, regional and international technology transfer, encouraged by the government to add value to the current production processes in the local industry, which must demand R&D for that growth and development to be sustainable.

(1) Guillermo A. Lemarchand. Consultant and Principal Investigator - GO SPIN Program of Unesco - Presentation - "Mapping of research and innovation in the Republic of Guatemala: National profile of policies in science, technology and innovation - Productive Sector - 19 / Feb / 2017

(2) Op.cit.