Why the next technological revolution will reshape Latin America — and how the region can maximize the benefits.
What this book does
- Explains the forces that drive technological revolutions—and how to spot them early.
- Shows why some LAC countries build new capabilities while others stall.
- Shows what each country would need to do — given its own starting conditions — to ride the next wave rather than be left behind.
About the author
Graham Watkins led climate policy and finance across Latin America and the Caribbean as Chief of the Climate Change Division at the Inter-American Development Bank. Drawing on forty years in the region, a PhD from Penn, and an MA from Oxford, he asks not what technologies LAC should adopt — but what institutional changes will determine whether the region can maximize the benefits of the next wave.
Why is it different?
The shelf of reports on Latin America’s productivity gap is long. What’s missing is a framework that treats technology adoption as an institutional design challenge. This book asks not what technologies to buy, but what changes will come, how to select for those changes, and what capabilities each state must build, in what order, and under what political conditions. It grounds those questions in evolutionary economics and historical evidence — then translates the answers into strategies matched to the heterogeneous realities of the region.
Who it’s for
Primary
General public, business leaders, journalists, academics, and engaged citizens
Secondary
Ministers, senior policymakers, technical teams, and MDB staff
Get concise, evidence‑based essays on technological transformation in Latin America—plus updates as the manuscript evolves.
