Scientific and technical policy, technological specialization and innovation: grounds and lines of action

Abstract

The distorsions of the National Scientific and Technical System and the present difficulties in economics impose, according to the optics of this article, a reinforcement of the scientific activities linked wth production. But, given the scarcity of resources, such a policy implies a rigorous choice of the scientific activities to be supported primarily by the framework of the National Scientific and Tecnical Policy, which must be entirely coherent as to the global Economic Policy. And the author proceeds with presenting, as a selection criterion for scientific activities specially suitable to justify the adequacy of the technological specialization to the targets of the Economic Policy, the criterion of the comparative advantages - a criterion that, mainly in its dynamic version and if one adds to it some targets concerning the integration of enconomic activities, may lead the Scientific and Technical Policy to contribute significantly to the resolution of the economic problems, specially those concerning the economic growth. And after having remarked that the innovation production is the most dynamic factor in economic growth, the author sustains that, in the countries technologically dependent, the most significant part of innovation must have for its basis the existing technology, in spite of being mainly foreign - a technology upon which a privileged effort of experimental development must fall. At the end, and according to the ideas previously expressed, the author enumerates what he considers to be some of the presuppositions «for a national policy of innovation».