Competitiveness and innovation systems:: the challenges for Mexico's insertion in the global context

Intellectual capital and its relation to innovation capacity are a common factor observed in the different schemes for the assessment of competitiveness. It is therefore that there is a growing need to adopt a systemic approach in order to analyze and design innovation policies aimed at strengthening collective performance for generating, adopting and diffusing innovations, building an approach known as National Innovation Systems (NIS). Following the concepts of NIS and competitiveness, the case of Mexico is analyzed reviewing some factors that establish obstacles for the development of enterprises, mainly those related to the macroeconomic environment. Finally some basic elements for a science, technology and innovation policy are proposed. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.