Managing Intellectual Property to Foster Agricultural Development

Over the past decades, consideration of IPRs has become increasingly important in many areas of agricultural development, including foreign direct investment, technology transfer, trade, investment in innovation, access to genetic resources, and the protection of traditional knowledge. The widening role of IPRs in governing the ownership of—and access to—innovation, information, and knowledge makes them particularly critical in ensuring that developing countries benefit from the introduction of new technologies that could radically alter the welfare of the poor. Failing to improve IPR policies and practices to support the needs of developing countries will eliminate significant development opportunities. The discussion in this note moves away from policy prescriptions to focus on investments to improve how IPRs are used in practice in agricultural development. These investments must be seen as complementary to other investments in agricultural development. IPRs are woven into the context of innovation and R&D. They can enable entrepreneurship and allow the leveraging of private resources for resolving the problems of poverty. Conversely, IPRs issues can delay important scientific advancements, deter investment in products for the poor, and impose crippling transaction costs on organizations if the wrong tools are used or tools are badly applied. The central benefit of pursuing the investments outlined in this note is to build into the system a more robust capacity for strategic and flexible use of IPRs tailored to development goals

How Can Blockchain Contribute to Developing Country Economies? A Literature Review on Application Areas

Blockchain technology originally finding applications in Fintech and supply chain management is rapidly expanding applications to other industries as well as the public sector. “Blockchain has been compared to the invention of the internet and its comprehensive impact on almost every industry.” R. Beck and B. Markey-Towler (2017) A recent study by PWC (2020) found that, “Blockchain technology has the potential to boost global gross domestic product by $1.76 trillion USD over this decade.” It has been argued that the digital revolution has favored more developed nations and that has helped create a “digital divide” with less developed nations. Business and governmental infrastructure in developing nations have lagged that of more developed nations. Some of these challenges faced by developing nations include the registration of property ownership, financial systems, modern efficient supply chains often accompanied by a lack of trust and the ability to verify and audit organizational processes rapidly and economically. Blockchain technology has the promise to address many of the critical needs of developing countries internally and in external trade relationships to help enable them to be more competitive. This paper will review the literature and examine the impact of Blockchain technology on how its adoption may ameliorate many of these critical challenges for developing nations helping to improve governance and economic benefits that are shared more equitably. Potential for both positive and negative impacts with be discussed along with policy implications for public policy makers and private enterprises

Digital Innovation in the Mining, Oil and Gas Extraction, and Construction Industries in Saskatchewan

This thesis discusses the need for a change in perspective in Canadian innovation policy frameworks, explores the innovation ecosystems perspective and what it might add to public policy, and applies this perspective to investigate innovation in the mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction industries in Saskatchewan. The negative multifactor productivity (MFP) growth experienced in these industries over the last two decades suggests that these industries experience significant innovation challenges and public intervention may be merited. The study focuses on digital technology adoption as digital transformation will be key in overcoming several megatrends that threaten to disrupt Canada’s economy. The study is confined to firms in Saskatchewan for feasibility and because the industries of study represent a significant share of the provincial economy. Data was collected in 24 interviews with firms’ representatives. The results provide several directions for policy intervention in the three industries, some of which would not have been identified using conventional approaches. This is most evident for the construction industry where the prevalence of small firms, diversity of technology, and the need for simultaneous adoption of similar technology by many firms create significant financial, capacity, and coordination challenges for the industry

The smart supply chain: a conceptual cyclic framework

Purpose: The objective of this work is to analyze the characteristics of the smart supply chain (SSC) and to propose a conceptual framework research. Given the pace of current technological change, there is a need to analyze the new features of the SSC, related to digital technologies and the incorporation of services. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of the literature is addressed, analyzing the latest studies on the subject. This methodology allows to propose a conceptualization of the SSC and incorporate new elements of analysis. Findings: The results show that much of the innovation and instrumentalization of supply chains involves incorporating digital services to expand their functionalities, especially in terms of agility and connectivity. The servitization of supply chains is therefore a key new feature. Put in relation to other characteristics identified in the literature, a conceptual cyclic framework is proposed for the SSC. Originality/value: This study contributes to strengthening the theoretical foundations of SSCs and serves as a guide for researchers and practitionersPeer Reviewe

Designing industrial strategy for a low carbon transformation

The recent re-emergence of industrial policy as a legitimate pursuit of governments in Europe and the US has the potential to open up a new realm of policy action for climate change mitigation. This would aim to align efforts to secure national industrial opportunities with the development of low carbon industrial systems, so as to generate both socio-economic and environmental benefits. The paper discusses the role of low carbon industrial strategy in seeking to do this, thereby accelerating transitions to a low carbon economy. It sets out the elements of a more systemic low carbon industrial strategy, including providing a mission-oriented and learning-based approach, drawing on and combining insights from neo-Schumpeterian and ecological economics perspectives