Nanotechnology policies in Latin American countries: "imported magic" or local adaptation?

MATTHIEU HUBERT; NOELA INVERNIZZI; DOMINIQUE VINCK

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; 4S / ESOCITE Meeting; 2014

Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) / Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estudios Sociales de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (ESOCITE)

Over the past ten years, the majority of Latin American countries have adopted some sort of policy to drive research and development in nanotechnology. Through an in-depth review of policy documents and academic works that have examined in what way Latin American countries have become involved in this area, we show that there is a tension in the making of nanotechnology policies between the isomorphism resulting from external influences and the local and regional particularities. Indeed, on one side, we call attention to the phenomenon of the transference of emerging thematic priorities and science policy models from "core" to "peripheral" countries -and its implications in terms of objectives, instruments, and ways of organizing the research in that field. On the other, we explore how local factors -such as scientific traditions and capabilities, the role of international collaborations, and the relationship with industry- give distinctive traits to the effective development of nanotechnology in each Latin American country. Finally, we question the idea of an unidirectional flow of science and technology from developed to less developed countries ("imported magic"), in spite of the common rhetoric and the apparent isomorphism of policy design.