SUPPORT TO R&D
In Chile, the Millennium Science Initiative Project helped improve the quality of scientific research and advanced training. The successful project outcomes led to follow-on activities in the Science for the Knowledge Economy Project that established a strong and coherent policy framework, promoted high-quality S&T, and supported interaction between the public and private sectors. The strong public-private research linkages that resulted from these investments have improved the Chilean S&T system and stimulated cross-sector cooperation between research and industry. The cumulative effects of these interventions made important contributions to enhancing the effectiveness of the innovation system in Chile. Project outputs helped increase the stock of human capital in the S&T sector, raise awareness of innovation, and inform the design of an innovation strategy and policy. However, policies were not enacted that could improve the innovation systems, such as increasing S&T expenditures to desirable levels that could foster innovation. In China, World Bank support to help promote the country’s knowledge economy by improving R&D and information flows and bridging the digital divide provided important inputs that informed high-level policy dialogue on digital divide issues and the national ICT strategy. In India, agricultural and water technologies were successfully transferred to farmers through extension services. Some projects demonstrated the use of innovations such as the use of GPS technology to target production impacts and improve equity. In Brazil, the Bank supported approval of the country’s innovation law and the development of a legal framework to directly subsidize private sector R&D. Although there is little information on university-industry linkages, patenting activity increased substantially after approval of the law. Experience from Brazil also indicates that innovative and successful practices relating to the modernization of S&T policies nurtured at the state level can spill across states to generate a virtuous circle of change. STRENGTHENING ENTREPRENEURIAL CAPABILITIES AND LINKAGES
In China, the World Bank supported firms in developing and promoting greater use of renewable energy and cleaner fuels, energy efficiency, and expanded air pollution control technologies. Its support for technology transfer promoted greater use of renewable energy and cleaner fuels, energy efficiency, and expanded air pollution control technologies. IFC investments in high-tech start-up companies and entrepreneurial SMEs also contributed to strengthening firms’ capabilities through technology transfer and introduction of new products, processes, and services. In Gujarat, India, an IFC project helped introduce resource-efficient
An Independent Evaluation | Chapter 4
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