The advent of the knowledge society has highlighted the growing importance of innovation and intellectual assets as sources of competitiveness and long-term economic growth. This book examines human capital and financial inputs into innovation systems, scientific and innovation outputs, innovative behavior by firms, the links between changes in economic structure, technological intensity, and growth, institutional development and public policy, and the status of one key crosscutting and enabling technological revolution: information and communication technology.

Inequality between men and women in Latin America persists in everything from wages to health care, education, and access to credit. Based on studies for an IDB-sponsored forum in Guadalajara, Mexico, this book examines the respective roles of men and women in development. Prevailing social policies in the region often view men as income earners and women as wives and mothers, neglecting the role of women in the work force and as community leaders.

This paper aims at evaluating the impacts of innovation promotion programs administrated by the Colombian Innovation Agency (COLCIENCIAS). Although the agency implements multiple programs, the focus of these research are on those programs that provide financial incentives for R&D (matching grants and contingent loans) and at the same time encourage the formation of linkages between firms, universities and other public research organizations.

We analyze the outcomes of 332 cases from a labor court in Mexico in which a judge awarded money to a plaintiff who claimed to have been fired by a firm without cause. The judgments were enforced in only 40% of the cases. A plaintiff may try to enforce a judgment by petitioning the court to seize the firm's assets when the firm refuses to pay. Thirty eight percent of the enforced judgments required at least one seizure attempt.

Argentina and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) joined forces to test a new math education model called Mathematics for All (MAT). After just one academic year, learning increased in schools using the model, with particularly dramatic improvements among underperforming students. This brief describes how MAT improved learning by focusing on the development of mathematical thinking rather than on the memorization of formulas.

Having a good teacher is the most important school-related factor for student achievement, to the point of closing the gap between low and high-income students. However, the empirical literature is almost silent regarding teacher selection. This paper estimates a teacher selection model using recruitment data from Enseña Perú, a program that recruits top university graduates from all majors and places them in vulnerable schools.

The introduction of technology in education is gaining momentum worldwide. One model of incorporating technology into education that has gained tremendous traction in Latin America and the Caribbean is One-to-One computing. The term "One-to-One" refers to the ratio of digital devices per child so that each child is provided with a digital device, most often a laptop, to facilitate learning. The objective of this document is to provide an overview of One-to-One implementations with a regional focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.

This art exhibit, held at IDB's headquarters on June 7-11, 2010, embodies the hope and aspiration that all students will gain a level of numeracy essential for successful participation in school, work and everyday life. The artworks on exhibit were selected from over 250 pieces submitted by artists representing nineteen Latin American and Caribbean countries. The exhibition constitutes the visual launch of a new IDB effort focused on implementing policies that help children reach their full potential in mathematics and natural science.

This paper studies the probability of receiving employer-paid training and other training independent of who finances it for permanent and temporary workers in Chile. The authors use data from the Social Protection Survey, EPS, allowing them to construct a panel of workers with information from 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2009. The results suggest that having a temporary contract in Chile reduces the probability of receiving employer-paid training. The survey also finds that this deficit is not compensated by other types of training. This finding is important for two reasons.

Enseña Chile (ECh) is one model in the direction of helping close the achievement gap between low-income and high-income students in Chile, and is a first adaptation of the Teach for America (TFA) model in Latin America. This paper provides the first evidence on the impact of the implementation, and is the first evaluation of Teach For America model to shed light on how it affects non-cognitive skills.