When path dependencies collide: the evolution of innovation policy in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The concept of ‘path dependency’ is transferred from the analysis of competing technologies to alternative S&T policies. This analysis was developed in the context of Rio de Janeiro, which is the confluence of two historical and economic trajectories. These differences and their effects on S&T policy led to the formulation of an analysis of competing path dependencies and the way synthesis emerges. This process is especially clear-cut in Rio since the opposing elements represent socio-political path dependencies that gained increasing weight over time. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.