The shortage of skilled labor continues to be one of the main obstacles to the creation of new innovation hubs in Brazil. That is one of the findings presented in the G20 Innovation Report 2016, prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and discussed at the most recent meeting of ministers of science, technology and innovation of the G20 member countries, held in Beijing, China. The document presents a set of analyses differentiating those countries that invest more heavily in science, technology and innovation (STI) from those that continue to spin their wheels in attempts to incentivize innovation and improve the business environment.
The report points out that increased investment in technological innovation and development in Brazil requires the combined efforts of the public sector and private enterprise. “In more-advanced economies, the business sector is the main driver of innovation, steering its efforts towards the development of new products and processes based on new knowledge.”
The report acknowledges Brazil’s efforts in sponsoring university students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to go to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany under the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, formerly known as Science without Borders. According to the report, undergraduate students who have the opportunity to spend some time at foreign institutions of higher learning establish personal ties and acquire skills that can be transferred to other places throughout their professional life. But Brazil still needs to translate that knowledge into social development, the report concludes. To read the document, go to bit.ly/2fflPra.
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