Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Innovation systems

Africa's New Science and Innovation Agenda

Calestous Juma — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:27:51 -0500

"Today all African presidents are supported by economic advisors. The time has come for them to complement the work of economic advisors with science, engineering, and innovation advisors. But advisors are not just people who whisper in the ears of heads of state. They are professionals whose work is guided by proper laws, procedures, and staff trained in policy analysis."

Progress in Energy Innovation, Development, and Deployment

Andrew Facini — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:13:18 -0500

"As the financial and environmental costs of current-generation energy sources continue to mount, development and implementation of innovative new energy sources have become increasingly important. Belfer Center experts are putting their research to work to foster changes in government and industry alike to push forward these energy technologies."

Spotlight: Laura Diaz Anadon

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:11:07 -0500

"Laura Diaz Anadon is Associate Director of the Belfer Center’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, Director of the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group, and a member of the Belfer Center Board of Directors. In May, she was named Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School."

Roy Family Honored for Environmental and Student Support

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:27 -0500

"Since 1999, the Roy Family has been supporting environmental research and projects coordinated by the Belfer Center’s Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENRP). In early May, ENRP gave special thanks to the Roy Family at a special reception where they also announced the most recent recipients of Roy Family internship and fellowship awards."

Breaking Down Walls Between Basic and Applied Research

Andrew Facini — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:46:15 -0500

Questions about the very nature of scientific discovery are being raised by Belfer Center experts Venkatesh (Venky) Narayanamurti, Tolu Odumosu, and Lee Vinsel...Their new discussion paper, entitled “The Discovery-Invention Cycle: Bridging the Basic/Applied Dichotomy,” describes the longstanding paradigm that separates basic research and discovery from applied research and implementation – for example, separating the study of the DNA of a bacteria from the application of that knowledge to develop new drugs and compounds.

Odumosu: Seeking Improved Understanding and Use of Technology

Wesley Nord — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:38:43 -0500

At the heart of STPP fellow Tolu Odumosu’s work is the practical application and social interactions of technological research and innovation. He believes the way humans reflect on the changes in life wrought by our tools has led to passivity when it comes to assessing the impact of technologies on man, as well as the impact of different peoples on the same technologies.

Belfer in Brief

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:30:47 -0500

Happenings and occurrences in and around the Belfer Center.

The Discovery-Invention Cycle: Bridging the Basic/Applied Dichotomy

Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti, Tolu Odumosu and Lee Vinsel — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:13:59 -0500

In this paper we hope to provide an alternative point of view. By examining both the evolution of the famous "linear model of innovation" — which holds that scientific research precedes technological innovation — and the problematic description of engineering being "applied science" we seek to challenge the existing dichotomies between basic / applied research, science and engineering, tracing how knowledge travels between different knowledge domains through a case study of a selected group of Nobel Prizes in physics.

Engineering Green Growth

Calestous Juma — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:08:17 -0600

"Recent trends in a variety of engineering fields have shown the prospects of pursuing ecologically sound technological leapfrogging. For example, the rapid adoption of mobile phones in African countries demonstrates how connectivity can be increased while reducing the ecological footprint of communication. Similarly, the rapid adoption of genetically engineered crops has shown how agricultural production can be enhanced while reducing the use of harmful agricultural chemicals."

RIP: The Basic/Applied Research Dichotomy

Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti, Tolu Odumosu and Lee Vinsel — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:31:53 -0600

"This mini-history reveals how knowledge grows through a richly interwoven system of scientific and technological research in which there is no clear hierarchy of importance and no straightforward linear trajectory. Accepting this reality has profound implications for the design of research institutions, the allocation of resources, and the national policies that guide research. This in turn can open the door to game-changing discoveries and inventions and put the nation on the path to a more sustainable science and technology ecosystem."

Development: Learning from Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew

Calestous Juma — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:55:45 -0600

"The question of whether nations can learn from history nag policymakers around the world. Part of the problem is that history is handed down through a variety of interpretations that do not reflect reality. But contemporary history, if genuine presented, can offer policy makers with lessons they can learn from....Singapore's lessons for other developing countries have yet to be fully appreciated. This is partly because much of the discussion has tended to focus on rhetorical arguments about relationships between governance and economic growth."

How Young Engineers Will Mold the Future

Calestous Juma — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:41:33 -0600

"The training of future engineers will need to integrate diverse disciplines so they can mold economies that promise prosperity for all."

Obama's Message of Tough Love

Juliette Kayyem — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:39:33 -0500

"If storms like Sandy are likely in the future, we will begin to see a move toward a more resilient infrastructure, starting with projects that are already under way. Local and state governments are likely to require that primary power cables are underground and protected."

The Energy Technology Innovation System

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:00:56 -0500

This article reviews the concept of an energy technology innovation system (ETIS). The ETIS is a systemic perspective on innovation comprising all aspects of energy transformations (supply and demand); all stages of the technology development cycle; as well as all the major innovation processes, feedbacks, actors, institutions, and networks.

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:33:25 -0500

"In my view, we need new modalities of public–private partnerships to enable radical innovation for the public good. The Idea Factory is well worth delving into as a source of lessons learned in how to build forward-looking, innovative technology institutions."

Innovation Key to Unlocking Africa's Horticultural Potential

Calestous Juma — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 15:33:11 -0500

"Biotechnology has the promise of leading to increased food security and sustainable forestry practices, as well as improving health in developing countries by enhancing food nutrition. In agriculture, biotechnology has enabled the genetic alteration of crops, improved soil productivity, and enhanced natural weed and pest control. Unfortunately, such potential has largely remained untapped by African countries."

Facebook Won't Save Us

Niall Ferguson — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:29:03 -0500

“Are you a technoptimist or a depressimist?” asks Niall Ferguson, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University and a member of the Belfer Center’s Board of Directors. “This is the question I have been pondering after a weekend hanging with some of the superstars of Silicon Valley. I had never previously appreciated the immense gap that now exists between technological optimism, on the one hand, and economic pessimism, on the other. Silicon Valley sees a bright and beautiful future ahead. Wall Street and Washington see only storm clouds.”

The China-Africa Bond: Science, Technology and Engineering Diplomacy

Calestous Juma — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:09:53 -0500

"The challenge is finding an entry point for fostering science, technology and engineering cooperation between China and Africa. An obvious starting point is agriculture. There are two reasons for this suggestion. First, agricultural transformation was one of the first major programs launched by China after the adoption of the 1982 constitution."

Why Kenya Has to Adopt Biotechnology in Farming

Calestous Juma — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:38:25 -0500

"Those countries that adopt agricultural biotechnology today will be better prepared to use the same techniques to solve health, industrial and environmental problems. The underlying knowledge of genomics is the same and is remarkably versatile. As an early adopter, Kenya is now applying mobile technology to other fields such as health and agriculture."

Intensive Workshops Examine Energy Technologies, Future of Oil and Gas Reserves

Traci Farrell — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:33 -0500

A group of American and European academics working on understanding the future prospects of energy technologies and the role of governments shaping these prospects gathered at Harvard Kennedy School in April. Hosted by Laura Diaz Anadon, director of the Energy Technology Innovation Policy.... the group discussed the need to incorporate uncertainty around technical change, the challenges of utilizing expert elicitations to inform policy decisions using models, and future collaborative work combining different expert elicitations and different energy-economic models.

Newsmakers

Traci Farrell — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:08:55 -0500

"Belfer Center Newsmakers" highlights members of the Belfer Center community who have been featured recently in the news.

Researchers Brief U.S. Officials on Findings

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:16:32 -0500

The key authors of Transforming U.S. Energy Innovation released the report at an event in Washington, D.C.in November. Hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, report authors Venky Narayanamurti, Laura Diaz Anadon, and Matthew Bunn presented the study process, findings, and recommendations.

Technology & Policy – A New Belfer Center Blog

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:15:05 -0500

Technology+Policy | Innovation@Work offers a platform for exchange of views on matters at the intersection of science, technology and public policy. Principal bloggers are Harvard faculty and Fellows from across the Belfer Center, the Kennedy School, and Harvard University.

Executive Program Fosters Regional Innovation

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:12:35 -0500

In the modern global economy, nations do not compete; it is specialized regions that compete, according to Calestous Juma, faculty chair of the Innovation for Economic Development executive program. To help countries strengthen their regional innovation systems, the Belfer Center will join Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education in sponsoring a high level executive program beginning May 28.

Q&A Laura Diaz Anadon

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:10:15 -0500

Laura Diaz Anadon is the associate director of the Belfer Center’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, director of the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group, and adjunct lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. She investigates the patterns and processes of technology innovation, especially the role of government policy in the development and deployment of advanced and cleaner energy technologies.

Sowing the Benefits

Calestous Juma — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:47:56 -0500

"The next challenge, however, is to build on these achievements and pursue bold steps aimed at upgrading the status and performance of agricultural institutes by creating genuine innovation systems that involve research, training, extension and commercialisation. This process will require bold political action involving high-level leaders, and will come with political risks and debate."

Exporting America's Future

Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:32:45 -0500

"...[y]ou can't do R&D offshore from a distance. The "look-see-do" of innovation depends on close ties to the manufacturing process. Proximity to manufacturing is the key to other higher-value activities — design, engineering and R&D. And with that, jobs."

Precision Farming Yields Many Gains

Robert Paarlberg — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:09:38 -0600

"Greater precision in modern farming raises a farm's income, brings down food prices, and is good for the environment. China will want to move toward precision farming using its own unique mix of solutions, based on both high-tech and low-tech methods, including both conventional and biotech seeds. The new Chinese farming model that emerges can lead agriculture in all of Asia toward a more prosperous, environmentally sustainable future."

A Good Opening: The Key to Make the Most of Unilateral Climate Action

Valentina Bosetti and Enrica De Cian — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:51:23 -0600

In a new Harvard Project Discussion Paper, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei's Valentina Bosetti and Enrica De Cian model the behavior of countries not participating in a cooperative climate regime. The regime imposes counterbalancing influences upon these countries, but under some conditions they may act to both reduce emissions and increase clean-energy R&D

Seeding New African Agricultural Universities

Calestous Juma — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:40:00 -0600

"Over the last decade considerable work has been done to redefine the role of government in agricultural research, decentralize research activities, increase stakeholder participation, identify new financial instruments, and strengthen system-wide linkages. These measures have been purposed on an incremental basis. They have indeed yielded commendable results. The next challenge, however, is to build on these achievements and pursue bold steps aimed at upgrading the status and performance of agricultural institutes by creating genuine innovation systems that involve research, training, extension, and commercialization."