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| Latest news |
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UNU-MERIT/Columbia Earth Institute partner on Catch-Up Project
Posted: 2007-08-30
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| Richard Nelson, Director of the Science, Technology, and Global Development Programme at Columbia University, USA (top) &
Luc Soete, Director UNU-MERIT |
UNU-MERIT has become a full time partner with the Columbia Earth Institute in coordinating the International Catch-up project. The project is aimed at illuminating the key mechanisms and institutions that, in the current world context, can enable nations behind the scientific and technological frontier to catch-up, and how the opportunities and obstacles to catch-up today differ from those that faced countries that caught up in an earlier era. The project brings together a large network of researchers and research organizations in different countries, both developed and less developed.
Ongoing studies include:
- The Roles of Research at Universities and Public Labs in Economic Development
- The Nature of Innovative Firms in Developing Countries
- Sectoral Innovation Systems in Development
- Economic Development in the Shadow of TRIPS
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UNCTAD LDC Report 2007 calls for overhaul of intellectual property regime
Posted: 0000-00-00
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| The Bangladesh capital, Dhaka (top) & Padmashree Gehl Sampath |
The 2007 UNCTAD Least Developed Countries (LDC) Report that focuses on Knowledge, Technological Learning and Innovation for Development has concluded that the prevailing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime does not encourage innovation by local firms in poor countries, which "...creates a strong case for adapting the system to the particular country context.”
Chapter 3 of the report presents an original case study on the impact of IPRs in the domestic processing sector in Bangladesh conducted by UNU-MERIT researcher, Padmashree Gehl Sampath. The detailed investigation of the pharmaceuticals, agro-processing and textiles and garments sectors found that strong IPRs tend to discourage learning and innovation in local firms and thus undermine the evolution of nascent domestic industries.
As part of activities held worldwide to mark the publication of the report Dr. Gehl Sampath launched the UNCTAD Report in Brussels on 19 July 2007.
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| Research & policy analysis |
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Study confirms efficacy of direct R&D grants
Posted: 0000-00-00
A recently completed study by Charles Bérubé and Pierre Mohnen exploring the effectiveness of R&D grants for Canadian plants that already receive R&D tax credits found that firms that benefited from both policy measures introduced more new products than counterparts that only benefited from R&D tax incentives. They also made more world-first product innovations and were more successful in commercializing their innovations. The research findings have been highlighted in the June 18 issue of Re$earch Money, a Canadian magazine that reports on trends in science and technology policy and investment.
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Benchmarking Innovation
Posted: 0000-00-00
As part of the ongoing PRO INNO Europe initiative of the European Commission's Directorate General Enterprise and Industry, UNU-MERIT researchers Hugo Hollanders and Can Huang are participating at the INNO-Views Workshop: 'Metrics to better understand innovation performance: New approaches to measuring innovation' in Ispra, Italy, on 5th & 6th July. The workshop is hosted by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. More than 30 workshop participants from 11 European countries will discuss how national differences in innovation performance can be explained beyond innovation and macro-economic data, and whether demand, regulation or institutional stability play a role in determining levels of innovation performance.
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Let’s Agree to Disagree: UN meeting maintains status quo on nuclear power, renewable energy & integration of energy policies
Posted: 0000-00-00
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| A hybrid bus in New York City |
The latest issue of the UNU-MERIT Hydrogen Fuel Cell Exchange (HFCX) Monitor focuses on the recently concluded UN Commission for Sustainable Development, CSD-15 discussions in New York. CSD-15 addressed climate change, energy security and poverty reduction, but according to Prof. Lynn Mytelka, coordinator of the UNU Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Alternatives Project, the meeting failed to respond to these crucial and interrelated issues in an integrated way.
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FACE OF THE MONTH: Karsten Gerloff
Posted: 0000-00-00
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| Karsten Gerloff |
Karsten Gerloff joined UNU-MERIT in October 2006, where he undertakes research on free software and Access to Knowledge (A2K).
"As a United Nations body, UNU-MERIT has a duty to work to make the world a better place for all. Coming from a background in advocacy work, it is an honour for me to help provide greater exposure to the great research happening here and ensure that the results arrive where they matter most."
Working at the intersection of technology, law and policy, Karsten recently attended the UNESCO multi-stakeholder consultation on Access to Knowledge as well as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Geneva from 22-25 May.
The meetings explored recent developments in this debate, and the various fields it has come to encompass, such as: free software; access to ICTs; access to textbooks and educational materials; open access to scientific information; libraries and copyright; access to medicines; open standards; access to agricultural materials and information; access vs. privacy.
While policy and legal aspects of these topics are witnessing a vibrant discussion, it is rapidly becoming apparent that their economic dimensions are often not well understood. Currently, Karsten is working on a concept for an event that will bring together the leading A2K actors from across the globe with UNU-MERIT's own academics in Maastricht, to take stock and help draw up a possible research agenda for economists working in this field.
Together with other contributors, Karsten monitors current developments in UNU-MERIT's A2K blog. He invites others to contribute in their areas of expertise.
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| Training & capacity development |
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Seminar discusses role of China and India in emerging global governance architecture
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| Dirk Messner |
Dirk Messner, Director of the German Development Institute (GDI), was the speaker at the second joint UNU-MERIT/Maastricht Graduate School of Governance seminar on 19th June. Arguing that the rise of India and China as significant actors for global governance and the world economy will transform today’s “quasi-unilateral world order” into a de facto multi-polar power constellation, the seminar explored some scenarios for the future interplay between these new powers and the US/Europe axis.
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| Face of the month |
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PhD research presentations
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26 UNU-MERIT PhD researchers presented their work at a 3 day seminar held from 26-28 June. Organized each year and attended by PhD participants as well as resident research staff, the programme provides a valuable forum to present and provide feedback on ongoing work ranging from advanced dissertations to new research proposals. |
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Participation at external training programmes
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Shuan Sadreghazi participated at the 6 week UNU International Courses (UNU/IC) programme in Tokyo from 21 May to 29 June. He took two courses: International Trade and Development, and Globalization and Multilateral System. Zakaria Babutsidze attended the 18th Jerusalem Summer School in Economic Theory, focusing on Economic Aspects of Communication and Information. The course took place from 12-20 June at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Sergey Filippov is taking part in the two-week DIMETIC Doctoral School in Pecs (Hungary), which will focus on Regional and Policy Dimensions of Innovation and Growth. Meanwhile, Semih Ackomak will attend the University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp (UCSIA) Summer School on Religion, Culture and Society, at theUniversity of Antwerp, Belgium, from 2-9 September. |
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Strong UNU-MERIT contingent at Monte Verità conference
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Five UNU-MERIT professorial fellows, including director Luc Soete participated at the Economics of Technology Policy Conference organized by the Chair of Economics and Management of Innovation (CEMI) at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL. Bronwyn Hall and Luc Soete gave keynote presentations on “The financing of research and development,” and “Research without frontiers,” respectively. Jacques Mairesse and Pierre Mohnen presented a joint paper titled: “A survey of innovation surveys: Taking stock of a growing literature.” Boris Lokshin presented "Effect of tax credits on firm R&D capital formation: evidence from Dutch firm-level panel data". The Conference took place from 17-22 June. |
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Selected Recent & Upcoming External Events attended by UNU-MERIT researchers
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12-14 June, Mannheim, Germany: ZEW Summer Workshop on ICT: International and European Perspective, Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW). Rossitza Rousseva presented a paper titled: “Identifying Technological Capabilities with Different Degree of Coherence: The Challenge before Latecomer Companies to Enter the International Markets.”
14-15 June, 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands: Innovation Society Conference 2007, a conference on regional innovation organized by the province of Noord-Brabant. Hugo Hollanders gave a keynote address focusing on the achievements of regions, based on the Regional Innovation Scoreboard.
15 June, Strasbourg, France. Ionara Costa and Sergey Filippov presented a paper: "Exploring the nexus between foreign direct investment, industrial and innovation policies" at the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) Symposium in Strasbourg.
15-16 June, Manchester, UK: Annual International High Technology Small Firms Conference at the Manchester Business School. Rossitza Rousseva presented a paper titled: “The need to scrutinize the development of latecomer software industries and investigate technological capabilities.”
27-30 June, Istanbul, Turkey: Second OECD World Forum on "Statistics, Knowledge and Policy." Luc Soete presented a paper at the session on "How to Build a Knowledge Economy and How to Know When You Have One."
27-30 June, Lille, France. Donatus Ayitei participated at the Tenth European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis where he presented a paper titled "Technical Change, Competitiveness and Poverty Reduction: in the Ghanaian apparel industry".
2-3 August, Vienna, Austria: UNIDO Industry in Development Young Scholar Expert Group Meeting. Abraham Garcia will present a paper titled: "National Systems of Innovation and the Role of Demand: A Cross Country Comparison."
27-29 September, Ancona, Italy: Conference on Econophysics Colloquium and Beyond, organized by the Economics Department, Polytechnic University of Marche,
Piazzale Martelli. Zakaria Babutsidze will present paper on “Habit Formation, Information Exchange and Geography of Demand.” |
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