It has become almost trivial to assert that in the knowledge society universities are important institutions. This consensus notwithstanding, questions like in what sense and for whom those institutions are important are far from receiving unanimous answers. Should the major function be to...

Connecting the theory of National Systems of Innovation with Development theory offers new insights for a global and interdisciplinary analysis of the current problems of underdevelopment. Some of the main contributions of classical Development thinking are seen to be most relevant. The role of...

The emergent “learning economy” is truly global in the sense that it deeply affects the whole world. The emergence of “learning societies”, though, is a process that takes place only in some regions, the patterns followed by this highly complex social process being far from converging....

Since the pioneer work of Weiss in 1979, the intricacy of the research-policy nexus has given rise to increasingly sophisticated and holistic models to account for the dynamics involved. From an innovation policy perspective, the use of research on innovation in policy-making has not been dealt...