Society in the Governance of Fourth-Generation Science and Technology Parks: Evidence from Latin America

Abstract This study investigates societal participation in the governance of fourth-generation science and technology parks (STPs), focusing on how society is represented, where its presence manifests itself, which actors it interacts with, and how the quality of this participation is characterized. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative multiple-case approach in which secondary data are used to map fourth-generation STPs in Latin America and identify analytically relevant cases, while primary data support an in-depth and contextually grounded analysis of the selected cases, HIDS—International Hub for Sustainable Development and distritotec. The analysis examines societal participation at the institutional, processual, and actions-and-outcomes levels, considering the economic, sociocultural, environmental, and knowledge dimensions. The findings show that, among the 91 STP cases mapped in Latin America, only five approximate the fourth-generation conception and, even among these, none presents society across all levels of governance. The in-depth analysis of HIDS and distritotec identified local citizens, non-governmental organizations, and the creative class as the main representations of society. However, this presence does not occur across all STP dimensions and is broader in distritotec than in HIDS. Interactions occur mainly with universities and governments, while relations with firms remain limited. In terms of quality, participation is predominantly characterized as consultation, with occasional instances of limited participation and co-creation in distritotec. Thus, the results challenge normative interpretations that assume the incorporation of society to be sufficient without problematizing its conceptual foundations and operationalization.