Concluding remarks: elements for an innovation and development research agenda in difficult times

Rodrigo Arocena and Judith Sutz

Chapter 17 in A Research Agenda for Innovation and Development, 2026, pp 253-263 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter considers some elements for a research agenda emerging from the different contributions to this book. Three global problems are highlighted: lack of sustainability, social inequality, and rising authoritarianism. In such a context, innovation, development, and democracy are jointly considered. The transformational aim of some original approaches to development needs to be invigorated; some elements for reformulating their directions and means are commented on. The role of knowledge in power relations poses a major challenge to agency-based approaches to development. The possibilities of different types of innovation are sketched. When environmentally and socially sustainable development is not an issue for some countries but for the whole world, global interpretations must be combined with specific regional perspectives that can inform contextualized policies. Universities can make an important contribution in these difficult times by opening new paths for research and collaborating with diverse collective actors to improve innovation.

Keywords: Innovation; Development; Sustainability; Inequality; Power; Democratization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035344338
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