Specialized human resources training and innovation in Latin America: The case of biotechnology

Specialized human resources training is an essential foundation for the economic and social development of a country. Graduates are expected to contribute to product and process innovation in the industry in the benefit of society. Hence, the purpose of this investigation consisted in determining whether the graduation of highly specialized human resources (master’s and PhDs) in areas associated with science and technology in Latin America is related to the generation of biotechnology IP5 patent families (2006-2013). IP5 families are a relevant indicator of a country’s share of inventions registered in one of the five most important intellectual property offices around the world. Results showed an α=0.05 positive association for the study period; calculations used the Q statistic and an χ² distribution with (2-1) (2-1) degrees of freedom. Even though results suggest a positive scenario, in general, the region presents a gap in comparison with other economic regions; therefore, specialized training activities should be accompanied with other actions such as the promotion of research and development, protection of intellectual property, and technological management, among others.