A developed sector of an underdeveloped country: The case of Cuban biotechnology sector

Date

2025-1

Author

Ilgaz, Aslıhan

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Cuba, a country with very limited resources, has attracted attention with its success in the biotechnology sector despite being subjected to US economic, trade, and financial sanctions for decades. In this study, how a developing country can be successful in a capital-intensive and high-risk sector is analysed with a mixed research method. Cuban biotechnology, in strong integration with the national health system, has set out with the aim of producing drugs and vaccines included in the country's essential drug list and national immunisation program and minimising the country's dependence on imports in a strategic area. The priority of the sector has been the development of vaccines, medicines, and early diagnosis kits in line with the current disease burden of society in line with the preventive medicine approach. The products developed have led to a significant improvement in Cuba's health indicators. While the most important achievement of the sector is its contribution to the development of public health, a successful test was given during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector has been increasing the country's export revenues for years through its advanced innovation capacity. The sector, which is gathered under the umbrella of BioCubaFarma, is fully owned by the state and differs from the rest of the world with its goals, motivation, investors, and production process. The sector, characterized by a culture of cooperation rather than competition and an advanced level of integration, faces significant challenges in the supply of raw materials and intermediate materials due to the US blockade. International commercial and scientific partnerships and cooperation agreements are partially effective in solving the problems. The Cuban biotechnology case offers significant policy recommendations for developing countries due to its innovative solutions to encountered problems, its process of building adaptation and innovation capacity, and the state's role in its establishment and development.

Subject Keywords

Biotechnology,, Cuba, Innovation, Integration., Development

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/112956

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis