The Long Road of the Cuban Biotechnology. Knowledge, Innovation, and System building

The thesis examines the creation and evolution of the Cuban biotechnological sector over the past three decades, with a focus on the dynamics of knowledge and the dynamics of the innovation system. The investigation identifies key findings in the following areas: 1. The study of Cuba as an example of premature forced deindustrialization and the subsequent emergence of the biotechnological sector within this context. 2. The definition of the building blocks and dynamics of the Cuban biotechnological sector's innovation system. 3. The analysis of knowledge production processes at the sectoral level, including the structure of knowledge networks and the modalities of technological knowledge generation. The research is organised into seven chapters. The first chapter presents the theoretical framework, divided into three parts: the main concepts and features of innovation and sectoral innovation systems; the role of knowledge and networks in organizational contexts; and structural change and economic development. The second chapter explores the forced premature deindustrialization of the Cuban economy, and the emergence of the biotechnology sector because of industrial policy, despite the negative context. The third chapter delves into the strategic importance of Cuban biotechnology, considering its economic, social, scientific, technological, political, and national security aspects. The fourth chapter provides a historical overview of the Cuban biotechnological industry's development, outlining its creation and evolution across four stages. The fifth chapter examines the building blocks of the sectoral innovation system, detailing the sector's response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The sixth and seventh chapters focus on the nature of knowledge generation at sectoral level, with the former analysing the characteristics and evolution of innovation-oriented knowledge networks through bibliometric analysis, and the latter examining technological innovation patterns and knowledge base evolution via patent analysis. In synthesis, this thesis reveals the role of industrial policy as a pillar of development. It explains the foundations of the creation and evolution of the sectoral innovation system in Cuban biotechnology and reveals the driving forces of knowledge production in the sector, as well as its limitations.