Looking back to move forward: a forty year retrospective of the Science and Technology Policy Instruments (STPI) Project.

The fortieth anniversary of the STPI project identification meeting (August 2013) provided an opportunity to examine the long-term impact of the first large-scale, international policy-oriented research initiative in science and technology policy for development; to evaluate the ways in which the knowledge acquired through the project helped to shape policy and decision making; to assess how it affected the professional and personal development of those who participated in the project; and to explore its implications for the future. The first part of this report contains one chapter summarizing the background, organization, methodology, results and dissemination of the STPI project, and is based primarily on material produced during 1973-1979 available at the STPI+40 website. The second part consists of two chapters. The first is a report prepared by Geoffrey Oldham based on a questionnaire answered by participants in the STPI research network, which examines its impact on the development of science and technology capabilities of the participating countries and on the members of the country teams. The second chapter was prepared by Juana Kuramoto takes a look back at the results of STPI, presents an overview of the main changes that have taken place in the policy environment for science and technology during the last four decades, and outlines new research issues on policy implementation. The third part comprises six short chapters. The first provides a brief account of the dissemination efforts and the influence of the STPI project over time, and the second offers an overview of the evolution of science and technology capabilities in STPI countries. The third contains a contribution from Tran Ngoc Ca, which indicates the STPI project influenced a review of science and technology policy in Vietnam. The fourth and fifth chapters present the main conclusions of the STPI+40 meetings in Paracas and Lima that took place in August 2013. They incorporate contributions by Francisco Sercovich, Alberto Araoz, Carlos Contreras, Monica Salazar and Susan Cozzens outlining possible agendas and future initiatives in the field of science, technology and innovation policies for development. This report gives readers a long-term perspective on the opportunities and constraints faced in the design and implementation of science and technology policies. We hope it will contribute to improve efforts to build science, technology and innovation capabilities in developing countries.