Higher education and innovation as factors of competitiveness in four Latin American countries

Abstract

This work establishes the relationship between competitiveness and innovation in higher education overall competitiveness in 4 Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Data are from the World Competitiveness Report prepared annually by the World Economic Forum from 2007 to 2013, the latter year saw 148 countries ranked from 1 to 148, 1 being the most competitive and less competitive 148. Basic, efficiency and innovation: overall competitiveness and three groups of factors are analyzed. After working with pillar 5, higher education and training and the post 12, innovation; relationships between factors, pillars and components for the four countries are established. The analysis shows that Chile has increased competitiveness, based on basic and efficiency factors, occupies on average, 32nd in both cases. Brazil and Mexico are economies that show similarities in strength efficiency factors and weakness in the basic factors. Argentina appears behind his best behavior manifests itself in innovation. The competitiveness of the five pillar in the quality of school management, where the four countries rank well. Another element that has good rating is the enrollment of the university system and the local availability of research. But this pillar also has deformities, as education in math and science behind the four countries listed, place beyond. Regarding the pillar of innovation, the best performances have Brazil, sustained competitiveness in innovation capacity in expenditure on business R & D and in a good university industry relationship. Argentina despite dynamism present in this pillar, has one major drawback is the low government consumption of high-tech goods in 2013 was in place 140.