Landscape analysis
Despite the significant and encouraging progress of the conditions for innovation that Colombia has achieved, such as the appeasement of one of its major internal armed conflicts, the international opening and the increase of available resources for science and technology, the development continues to be low in comparison with other countries in Latin America. According to a report of MinTIC the limited connection that there is between the different sectors of the economy and the universities, must be added to the low investment in Research and Development, being only 0.2 percent of the GDP, while in countries as Brazil or in the OECD occupies 1.2 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.
However, Colciencias reported that according to the latest report of the Global Innovation Index (GII), calculated by The Cornell University in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and INSEAD The Business School for the World, Colombia raised two positions from 65 to 63 in the world ranking. While in Latin America, the country remained in fifth place. The objective of this study is to identify the most innovative economies and the reasons that have led to their efficiency.
According to this same report, it was evidenced that Colombia increased the number of graduates in Science and Engineering by one percentage point over the total number of graduates, from 22.7 percent to 23.6 percent. This increase allowed the country to gain two positions worldwide from 38 to 36. Regarding full time researchers (per million inhabitants) Colombia raised one position in the world ranking from 84 to 83. However, comparing the results of 2017, it is highlighted that in Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia was the third country with the highest rate of increase of researchers (15 percent), after Brazil (29 percent) and Uruguay (24 percent).