Diagnosis on social impact measurement in the Matanzas science and technology park

Abstract

The current Cuban context evidences a boom in research projects involving science, technology and innovation. Our National Innovation Management System is focused on the solution of the problems presented by our socialist social development economic model, with the use of knowledge and innovation. As part of the Informatization Policy of the country, the Scientific and Technological Parks (PCT) arise in Cuba, with which an accelerated development of R+D+i projects is propitiated in order to solve the fundamental problems of this model.
 At the express request of the country’s management, the projects generated by the PCTs in order to fulfill their mission and social transformation, it is essential to measure their social impact; however, the review of their design and a diagnosis (using methods such as surveys, interviews, documentary analysis) of the skills of the project managers working in the PCTCs, show marked weaknesses in measuring the social impact of their projects, which is the main objective of the present work: to show the results of the diagnosis carried out from the definition of indicators and measurement criteria for this purpose, as well as the authors’ analysis of the possible ways of solution.