SciDev.Net

Satellites can save lives from natural disasters but developing countries risk missing the opportunity through poor political support.

A majority of Latin American countries suffer from worthy talk but little stable R&D funding. Long-term strategies should be a priority.

Academics have long argued for developing countries to adopt "systems of innovation". Now it looks like politicians have got the message.

An influential lecture on the cultural significance of science remains as relevant today as when it was delivered 50 years ago.

Patents on scientific knowledge may not be as useful — or valuable — as many claim them to be.

Science can help developing countries facing commodity-price and climate turmoil: the biggest challenge is how to ensure it does.

A commitment to development-oriented innovation should be high on the agenda at the upcoming MDG summit in New York.

A new study confirms the valuable role of 'intermediary organisations' in bringing scientific and policy-making communities closer together.

Commodity price rises are no substitute for long-term investment in infrastructure and capacity as a means of securing sustained development.

Bill and Melinda Gates' forays into aid are to be welcomed, but they can only succeed alongside government involvement.

The world must not miss its second chance to take a radically different approach to energy consumption.

China's efforts to build an innovation-based economy require a less hierarchical approach to organising its research system.

Last month's presidential elections in Nigeria have cast a shadow over the country's efforts to promote science and technology.

A growing consensus on the need for more science and technology in development policies must not be allowed to create excessive expectations.

Developing countries must adopt effective policies on technology transfer that meet the needs of all social classes, including the poorest.

Disagreement on how to create collaborative centres of excellence in Africa could weaken the continent's efforts for scientific revival.

The new head of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, must balance both political and scientific pressures if she is to succeed at improving global health efforts.

Defining an appropriate policy-making role for Africa's scientific community requires a careful balance between 'science push' and 'demand pull'.

Innovation is now widely acknowledged as an essential tool for development. Other nations would do well to learn from the political challenges that Brazil's new legislation has unearthed.