Basic design principles for national research in developing countries

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This article seeks to establish basic design principles for national research in developing countries. Its starting point is in questioning the applicability of Western practice in the design of research organization in Third World nations, where the social, economic and technological environments are totally different. Principally, in developing countries, the environment into which research is applied is one characterized by “knowledge poverty” and by a driving force of technological change in the economy that emanates from outside national boundaries, rather than from indigenous research efforts. This drive is unlikely to address national planning priorities except by accident. In this environment, this article argues, national research can never play anything but a marginal role in development. But, at the same time, the role it plays is central to “directing” development strategies, particularly in filling gaps to which international technological interests are unlikely to pay attention. The design principles for research organizations flow from these observations. The most basic principles are: (1) that research must be targeted strategically to utilize very scarce resources well; and (2) that knowledge bridges must be constructed from research into the economy in a way that may be quite inappropriate in advanced nations. The article explores the consequences for organization design that follow the application of these principles.