Centres of excellence in Latin America: how do these differ from other experiences?

Abstract

Centres of excellence (CoEs), as boundary-spanning structures between universities and firms, have been promoted and studied mainly in developed countries, while some Latin American countries have recently launched CoE programmes. This study explores how CoEs in Chile and Peru have been working in terms of their internal structures and interactions. It draws upon a conceptual framework that encompasses the distinction between contexts for and channels of university–industry linkages (UILs), the defining features of CoEs, their differences with other schemes and innovation intermediaries, and the patterns shown by CoEs in developed countries. Applying this framework to analyse two CoEs, we found that these fit into the concept of contexts for UILs and differ substantially from research and technology organisations. We also found that Chilean and Peruvian CoEs share certain commonalities with their counterparts in developed countries, albeit they also show sharp differences, which have both academic and policy implications.