Brazil – Findings

An introduction by James Wilsdon is followed by Kirsten Bound, Senior Researcher, Demo, presenting Brazil – Findings The landscape for innovation in Brazil is changing fast. R&D budgets are rising. Brazilian researchers are at the forefront of developments from biofuels to human genomics and ITC. But what are the real prospects for STI in Brazil? And how can the UK and Europe scale up collaboration with this emerging scientific player? In these presentations, Demos will publish the results of six months of extensive fieldwork and interviews with leading Brazilian innovators, scientists and policymakers, undertaken in partnership with the Brasilia-based think tank CGEE. The launch will include a panel discussion with UK and Brazilian thinkers and policymakers.

Kirsten Bound was a Senior Researcher at Demos until July 2008 and remains a Demos Associate. Her work focuses on science and innovation in emerging economies and democracy and participation. Her publications include Brazil: the natural knowledge-economy (Demos, 2008); India: the uneven innovator (Demos, 2007); The New Geography of Innovation: Finland, India, Science and Technology, with Paul Miller (Sitra, 2007); The Everyday Democracy Index: How European Democracies Really Measure Up (with Paul Skidmore) (Demos, 2008); Community Participation: who benefits? (with Paul Skidmore and Hannah Lownsbrough) (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2006). Kirsten has a first-class degree in European Social and Political Studies from University College London and speaks fluent French. For the remainder of 2008 she will be based in Kigali, Rwanda. To view the publication: Brazil the natural knowledge-economy – please use the following link to access the pdf http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Brazil_NKE_web.pdf.