Innovation World: Brazil, Korea, Russia And the Race for the Future

The United States has been an innovation leader since the end of World War II as it took to heart Vannevar Bush’s 1945 report Science: The Endless Frontier. As the world entered the 2000s, more and more countries have focused on improving and building their own innovation systems. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, recognizing this trend, asked the IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute to survey the innovation systems of Brazil, South Korea, and Russia and provide insights on current and future innovation trends. The talk will explore the complex set of factors that are brought to bear on countries’ industrial and innovation policies, and highlight the role of governance and culture underlying both successes and failures in innovation policies.

Scientific and technological breakthroughs overseas can create new opportunities or new competitive challenges for the United State. While still a leader in many fields, the United States also will be well served to learn from the innovative policies of other countries as well as following new developments in science and technology.