The paper “Innovation in development cooperation: emerging trajectories and implications for inclusive sustainable development in the 21st century” published on Journal Innovation and Development (Taylor & Francis Online), by Ana Luísa Silva, PhD in Development Studies (ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa), seeks to fill this gap in the literature, providing an initial overview of innovation in development cooperation in the post-2000s. It argues, firstly, that innovation has always been part of international development policy and practice. Secondly, it links the recent strengthening of the innovation discourse to three trends in the systemic transformation of the field: the triumph of metrics-based agendas, the ICTs and digitalization revolutions, and the role of private sector actors. It concludes by critically assessing the implications of this narrative in changing the politics of innovation towards more inclusive sustainable development policies and practices.
