Latin American and Caribbean Network of Science and Technology Indicators

Latin American and Caribbean Network of Science and Technology Indicators
Name	Latin American and Caribbean Network of Science and Technology Indicators
Formation	1984
Type	Network
Region served	Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American and Caribbean Network of Science and Technology Indicators is a regional network that coordinates producers of science and technology indicators across Latin America and the Caribbean. The network connects national statistical offices, research councils, and universities to standardize indicators related to research, development and innovation, collaborating with international bodies to improve comparability and policy relevance. It serves as a platform for capacity building, methodological harmonization, and dissemination of measurable outputs that support regional decision-making.

History

The network traces origins to initiatives linking institutions such as UNESCO, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and national agencies like Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) in Mexico and Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación in Uruguay. Early meetings attracted delegates from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, alongside partners from United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional universities such as Universidad de São Paulo and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Milestones include methodological accords influenced by the Frascati Manual and cooperation with the OECD science directorates and the Eurostat community, while training workshops reflected best practices from Harvard University and University College London collaborations. The network expanded through regional conferences, memoranda of understanding with the Caribbean Community and thematic links to programs like Horizon 2020 and later European Union research initiatives.

Structure and Membership

Membership comprises national indicator units, research observatories, academies, and university departments such as Academia Brasileira de Ciências, Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and regional centres including the Caribbean Public Health Agency and University of the West Indies. Governance typically includes a coordinating committee, technical working groups, and rotating secretariat functions hosted by national agencies like CONICET (Argentina) or ANII (Uruguay). Associate partners include international organizations such as UNESCAP, UNIDO, World Intellectual Property Organization, and funding partners like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation. The network’s advisory panels have drawn experts from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, and specialty bodies including SciELO and RedCLARA.

Objectives and Activities

Core objectives align with producing harmonized indicators to inform policy in member states, promoting standards akin to the Oslo Manual and Leiden Manifesto, and strengthening capacities in bibliometrics, patent analysis, and research workforce statistics. Activities include regional workshops with stakeholders such as Ministry of Science and Technology (Brazil), thematic seminars with the Pan American Health Organization, training programs for staff from the National Autonomous University of Honduras and Universidad de la República (Uruguay), and collaborative projects with entities like Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences and Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación. The network organizes biennial conferences that host delegations from European Commission research units, African Union science policymakers, and representatives of multinational corporations like Embraer and Vale in discussions linking indicators to innovation performance.

Data Collection and Methodology

Methodological work draws on internationally recognized standards, adapting frameworks from the Frascati Manual, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard, and bibliometric practices informed by Scopus and Web of Science. Data sources routinely include national surveys modeled after instruments from Statistics Canada and Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC), administrative records from agencies such as Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), and patent datasets from World Intellectual Property Organization and national patent offices like Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI). Technical groups apply bibliometric methods related to citations used by Clarivate Analytics and altmetrics frameworks pioneered in collaborations involving PlumX and Altmetric. Quality assurance employs peer review from experts affiliated with Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences panels, while capacity-building leverages training modules inspired by Harvard Kennedy School and United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Publications and Outputs

Outputs include regional indicator reports, methodological guides, and interactive databases disseminated to stakeholders such as Mercosur policy units and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) secretariats. Major publications have paralleled formats used by Science and Nature policy commentaries, producing compendia on R&D expenditure comparable to UNESCO Institute for Statistics datasets and specialized reports on patents analogous to publications by European Patent Office. The network maintains bibliometric atlases, national profile briefs, and technical notes used by ministries like Ministry of Education and Culture (Uruguay) and agencies including Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Collaborative papers have appeared with coauthors from University of Buenos Aires, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and think tanks such as Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales.

Impact and Regional Contributions

The network has contributed to improved harmonization of science and technology measurement, influencing national policy instruments in countries like Chile and Mexico and informing regional strategies adopted by CELAC and Organization of American States. Its methodological standards have supported funding allocation models used by agencies including Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica and fostered cross-border research assessment exercises involving institutions such as Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and Universidad de Chile. By enabling comparable indicators, the network has strengthened links between academic producers—Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Universidad de Antioquia—and policy users including Inter-American Development Bank and multinational donors, thereby shaping investment in research infrastructure, doctoral training, and regional innovation ecosystems exemplified in clusters around Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires.

Category:Science and technology in Latin America Category:International scientific organizations