S&T Collaboration in Developing Countries: Lessons from Brazilian Collaboration Activities with South Korea

An active policy role is suggested for collaboration that will enhance national level Science and Technology (S&T) capabilities. In contrast, some studies see a limited role of policy support for collaborative S&T research at the individual level (including research groups or institutional levels) due to their self-organizing nature. Two views on S&T collaboration look at different levels but existing research largely ignores the context of developing countries. This paper shows how S&T collaborations between Brazil and Korea have developed over the past two decades. The paper indicates the gaps between initiation and the actual establishment of collaborative research at national and individual levels, differences in the focus areas of research, differences in resources and project planning, and the nature of collaborations. Collaborative research activities at the national level were initiated before the individual level but activated later than the individual level; in addition, the focus areas of research were laid down earlier at the national level with individual collaborations focused on different areas. Project types remained different at each level (i.e. top-down and bottom-up) or with a slightly changing mix. This study suggests appropriate policy measures (such as the timely and effective information collection of activities at different levels and proactive coordination) that could reduce the gaps in the timing and alignment of research areas. This paper also alludes to an evolutionary model to develop S&T collaboration among developing countries.