La innovación regional en Colombia: reflexión y comparación entre departamentos

Despite being recognized as an upper-middle-income economy, Colombia remains lagging in intellectual production and investment in innovation. According to the 2023 Global Innovation Index, Colombia ranks 66th out of 132 economies, below countries like Brazil, Chile, and Iran. This highlights the need to strengthen its innovation ecosystem. The study analyzes the Departmental Innovation Systems (DIS) in Colombia, using the Quadruple Helix model, which involves the interaction between industry, universities, government, and civil society. A literature review on innovation is conducted, focusing on Colombia and other countries, especially analyzing the determinants of success in innovation. The results show that departments with higher population and business density, and those with high-quality universities, are more efficient in innovation. The proper functioning of the labor market and the efficiency of the legal system are also key. However, none of these determinants alone guarantees success in innovation, underscoring the need for policies tailored to the particularities of each region. This study offers a reflection on the DIS in Colombia, providing valuable tools to improve innovation capacity and competitiveness in developing economies.