The Thirteenth Globelics Conference, held at the Palacio de Convenciones in Havana, Cuba, from 23 to 25 September 2015, represented a distinctive moment in the history of the network. It was the first Globelics conference organized in Cuba and placed particular emphasis on the capacity of innovation to confront poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. By combining international academic debate with Cuba’s own experience in science, technology, health, and education, the conference offered a development-oriented perspective in which innovation was understood not only as a source of economic growth, but also as an instrument for improving social welfare.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Higher Education of Cuba, the University of Havana, and the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (InSTEC), with support from the country’s science and technology authorities. The local organizing team used the conference as an opportunity to present Cuban achievements in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, disaster preparedness, and public health. More than 300 academics participated, including approximately 60 Cuban researchers, creating an unusually strong interaction between national institutions and scholars from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America.
Academic direction was provided by a broad group of senior Globelics scholars. Bengt-Åke Lundvall of Aalborg University contributed the learning and innovation systems perspective that had long shaped the network’s intellectual identity. Richard Nelson of Columbia University brought his influential work on evolutionary economics and national innovation systems, while Luc Soete of Maastricht University added expertise on technological change and development policy. The Scientific Committee also included Gabriela Dutrénit of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, José Eduardo Cassiolato of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Judith Sutz of the University of the Republic, Keun Lee of Seoul National University, Mammo Muchie of Tshwane University of Technology, Shulin Gu of Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Cristina Chaminade of Lund University. Together, they helped define the academic standards of the meeting and ensured that the programme combined conceptual depth with regional diversity.
Two major lectures gave the conference much of its intellectual direction. The 2015 Freeman Lecture, delivered by Richard R. Nelson, examined the relationship between institutions, innovation, and economic development. His contribution reinforced the idea that technological change depends on organizational routines, accumulated capabilities, and institutional structures rather than on scientific progress alone. The 2015 Globelics Lecture, presented by Mónica Salazar of the Colombian Observatory of Science and Technology, shifted attention toward Latin American policy challenges and emphasized the need for science and technology strategies that generate broader social benefits.
The parallel sessions explored innovation in health, education, social inclusion, sustainability, and public policy. Cuba’s National Medical Genetics Network attracted particular attention because of its extensive territorial coverage and its contribution to reducing infant mortality. This case demonstrated how innovation can be embedded within a public health system and directed toward concrete social goals. Similar discussions examined how institutional coordination, public investment, and knowledge sharing can strengthen development outcomes even in contexts of limited financial resources.
The participation of LALICS, coordinated by Gabriela Dutrénit, further reinforced the Latin American character of the meeting. Its members approached innovation as an interactive and socially embedded process, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation, institutional learning, and locally grounded research. Their contribution linked the Cuban experience to wider debates across Latin America concerning inequality, productive transformation, and the role of public policy.
The Havana conference therefore differed from many earlier Globelics meetings by placing social outcomes at the centre of innovation analysis. Its significance lay not only in bringing the network to Cuba, but also in demonstrating how scientific and technological capabilities can be aligned with health, education, inclusion, and sustainability. Through the combined work of Cuban institutions, regional networks, and internationally recognized scholars, the conference advanced a vision of innovation systems explicitly connected to social justice and development.