The First Globelics Conference, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2 to 6 November 2003, marked the official launch of the Globelics network and established a new international platform for research on innovation and development. Under the theme “Innovation Systems and Development Strategies for the Third Millennium,” the conference sought to strengthen collaboration among scholars from developed and developing countries while promoting a broader understanding of innovation systems as key drivers of economic growth, social inclusion, and sustainable development. Rather than focusing exclusively on the experiences of advanced economies, the meeting encouraged discussions grounded in the realities of emerging and developing countries.
The conference was organized through the collaboration of Globelics, the Research Network on Local Productive and Innovative Systems (REDESIST), and the Institute of Economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IE/UFRJ). The organizing committee brought together Bengt-Åke Lundvall of Aalborg University, Luc Soete of the University of Maastricht, Frieder Meyer-Krahmer of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, and José Eduardo Cassiolato of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who served as the local host and coordinated the event with the support of the REDESIST organizing team. Their combined expertise reflected the conference’s ambition to establish a truly international research community dedicated to innovation and development.
The scientific direction of the conference was equally distinguished. The founding academic leadership included Richard Nelson from Columbia University, whose pioneering work on National Innovation Systems had profoundly influenced the field, together with Luc Soete, José Eduardo Cassiolato, Mammo Muchie of Tshwane University of Technology, and Shulin Gu of Tsinghua University. Their participation ensured that the conference integrated perspectives from Europe, Latin America, Africa, North America, and Asia, reinforcing Globelics’ commitment to fostering a genuinely global dialogue on innovation policy and economic transformation.
Many of the conference discussions were shaped by Bengt-Åke Lundvall, who outlined the intellectual vision behind the newly established network. He emphasized that innovation should be understood as a process of interactive learning supported by institutions, organizations, and knowledge exchange rather than as the outcome of technological advances alone. Complementing this perspective, José Eduardo Cassiolato introduced a Southern approach to innovation systems, arguing that policies must respond to the specific institutional and socioeconomic conditions of developing countries instead of replicating models designed for industrialized economies.
The conference also brought together several internationally recognized scholars whose contributions expanded the scope of the discussions. Christopher Freeman, one of the founders of innovation studies, highlighted the role of technological change in long-term economic and social development. Richard Nelson examined the relationship between institutions, technological capabilities, and economic catch-up, while Lars Mjøset approached innovation from a broader sociological perspective. Luciano Coutinho explored the links between industrial policy, innovation, and national development strategies, emphasizing the importance of state capacity in promoting structural transformation.
Additional sessions addressed the growing diversity of innovation experiences around the world. Luc Soete, João Caraça, and Rainer Walz discussed globalization, sustainability, and technological change, while Carlota Perez and Erik Reinert examined the developmental role of the state in periods of technological transition. Contributions by Charles Edquist, Björn Johnson, Helena Lastres, Rodrigo Arocena, and Judith Sutz further enriched the debate by combining theoretical reflections on innovation systems with practical experiences in policy design and institutional development.
Particular attention was devoted to the transformation of innovation systems in emerging economies. Shulin Gu analyzed China’s evolving innovation capabilities, Rishikesha T. Krishnan focused on India’s technological development, Leonid Gokhberg presented the Russian experience, and José Eduardo Cassiolato examined the opportunities and challenges facing Brazil’s innovation system. These comparative perspectives illustrated the diversity of development trajectories and reinforced the central objective of Globelics: understanding innovation through multiple regional and institutional contexts.
The conference concluded by laying the foundations for a network that would become one of the world’s leading communities in innovation and development studies. By bringing together internationally renowned scholars, policymakers, and researchers from across the Global North and Global South, the inaugural Globelics Conference established a collaborative research agenda centered on learning, innovation systems, and inclusive development. The partnerships forged in Rio de Janeiro continue to influence the network’s activities and have shaped more than two decades of research on innovation for sustainable development.