Over the past decade, Mexico has made significant progress towards macroeconomic stability and has undertaken important structural reforms to further open the economy to trade and investment, and improve the functioning of markets for goods and services. However, potential gross domestic product (GDP) growth remains much too low to reduce widespread poverty and bridge the wide gap in living standards with wealthier OECD countries. One important reason for this is that Mexico has been slower than those in many competing newly industrialising economies to realise the importance of investment in innovation as a driver of growth and competitiveness.
This book assesses the current status of Mexico's innovation system and policies, and identifies where and how the government should focus its efforts to improve the country's innovation capabilities.


Overall assessment and recommendations
-Fostering innovation to boost Mexico's socio-economic development
-Mexico's innovation system: main policy challenges
-Recommendations 
-Concluding remarks 
Évaluation générale et recommandations 
-Encourager l'innovation pour stimuler le développement socioéconomique du Mexique 
-Le système d'innovation mexicain : principaux défis pour les pouvoirs publics 
-Recommandations 
-Conclusions 
Chapter 1. Economic performance and framework conditions for innovation 
-1.1. Economic performance 
-1.2. International trade and foreign direct investment 
-1.3. Economic structure and structural change 
-1.4. Framework conditions for innovation 
-1.5. The role of innovation in Mexico's economic development 
-1.6. Performance in science, technology and innovation in an international comparison 
Chapter 2. Main actors of innovation
-2.1. Business sector 
-2.2. Public research centres
-2.3. Higher education institutes
-2.4. Human resources 
Chapter 3. The role of government 
-3.1. The evolution of Mexico's S&T and innovation policies 
-3.2. Institutional setting and governance
-3.3. Financing, priority setting and policy mix 
-3.4. The portfolio of instruments and programmes: a critical assessment
-3.5. Moving towards more efficient innovation policy 
References