Science and technology and advances in knowledge have for centuries played a central role in economic and social transformation. Today, more than ever, they are set to shape the future of humankind. The challenge facing the international community as well as local communities in the new century is how to harness and direct knowledge in the service of local, national and global needs. In its Report titled the Challenge to the South, the South Commission commenting on the measures needed to address the challenges of generating and accessing innovations and knowledge observed inter alia that:

Unless the South learns to harness the forces of modern science and technology, it has no chance of fulfilling its developmental aspirations or its yearning for an effective voice in the management of global interdependence. All societies must therefore mount a determined effort to absorb, adapt, and assimilate new technological advances as part of their development strategies. Simultaneously, their technological, economic, and social structures must acquire a built-in inducement and capacity to generate new technologies in accordance with their developmental needs.

The interdisciplinary Innovation & Access to Knowledge Programme seeks to bring economic, political-economy, legal, scientific and related research, as well as policy analysis, to bear on the on-going debate and formulation of policy responses to the development challenges facing developing countries including least-developed countries (LDCs) with respect to generating, absorbing, adapting and assimilating various advances in knowledge and technology. The aim is to contribute to the development, coordinated use, and or improvement of the capacities of these countries and their institutions to integrate the development dimension into their policies on innovation, access to knowledge, and intellectual property. In particular, the Programme through a range of empirical and theoretical research, policy analysis, capacity building and training as well as policy advice activities, contributes to the strategic thinking on options for such policies.

The Programme activities including research and analysis is undertaken by a small staff at the Centre with the support of an Expert Advisory Group (EAG), and in collaboration with key research and academic institutions as well as civil society organisations and NGOs especially from the South.

Key Elements of the Programme

The key elements of the Programme include:

• Empirical and theoretical research and analysis on key thematic areas;
• Capacity building and training;
• Policy advice activities; and
• Outreach, communication and dissemination (OCD).

Since October 2008, some programme-related material is being made available in Chinese. Click here to access these documents. (???????)