Panama country report: Incorporating the SDGs into the STI system through Transformative Innovation

This 2024 report surfaces the potential for Transformative Innovation Policy in Panama. Based on a collaboration between Panama’s Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACyT) and SPRU, it emphasises the need for Panama to align its Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) system with the Sustainable Development Goals – especially in view of global challenges posed by climate change, growing inequality and biodiversity loss.

It reviews the evolution of the country’s STI policies, highlights key institutional structures and programmes overseen by SENACyT, and assesses existing strengths and gaps in research, innovation funding, capacity building, and cross‑sectoral coordination. The report identifies opportunities to enhance policy design and implementation so that innovation contributes more directly to broader societal goals, and proposes strategic recommendations for strengthening Panama’s innovation ecosystem to support long‑term sustainable development.

Drawing on the Three Frames conceptual framework developed by Schot and Steinmueller (2018), the analysis includes a mapping of existing STI programmes against: Frame 1 (R&D), which focuses on research and development and linear science‑to‑innovation logic; Frame 2 (systems of innovation), which emphasises networks, institutions and capabilities to strengthen innovation systems; and Frame 3 (transformative change), which centres on addressing societal and environmental challenges through experimentation, inclusiveness and directionality toward sustainability. This highlights where Panama’s current policies align with traditional growth‑oriented approaches and where there is potential to advance more transformative innovation policy that tackles climate, inequality and systemic sustainability issues directly.

The report also addresses the role of ‘transformative missions’ in addressing systemic development challenges by moving beyond conventional, incremental innovation approaches toward more ambitious, sustainability‑oriented goals and shaping new pathways for sustainable development in Panama.