Science and technology indicators for social development

Conclusions from the Sixth Ibero-American and Inter-American Workshop on Science and Technology Indicators

Abstract

The transition toward the information society implies that science and technology must be placed at the service of citizens' well-being. This challenge requires policies that are defined based on appropriate indicators. The social crises often experienced by Latin American and Caribbean countries have stimulated a long-standing concern about the need to put science and technology at the service of economic and social development. In this sense, awareness has grown regarding the multiple factors that influence decision-making in science, technology, and innovation policy. These factors must be considered when setting goals and making choices to ensure that knowledge effectively becomes a tool for social development. For this reason, decision-making processes related to science and technology require a broad base of quantitative and qualitative information about available resources, achieved results, trends, and future scenarios. In other words, awareness has increased that better information is essential for developing better policies.