This study was prepared by an UNCTAD team, comprised of Clovis Freire (team leader), Abiy Solomon, Maria Godunova, Weijing Ye and Ronak Shahsavar, with contributions from Solomon Anzagra, Thomas Van Giffen, Olivier Combe and Rasim Alam (Harvard Kennedy School). The authors worked under the supervision of Liping Zhang, Chief of the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Section, and the guidance of Ángel González Sanz, Head of the Science, Technology and ICT Branch, and under the overall direction of Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of the UNCTAD Division on Technology and Logistics.

UNCTAD appreciates valuable inputs provided by the Governments of Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Finland, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as from United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (ESCAP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Trade Centre (ITC), Food and Agriculture Organization (ITU), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The publication benefited significantly from discussions and inputs during the 2020–2021 Intersessional Panel of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (18 to 22 January 2021).

Magali Studer designed the cover. Malou Pasinos provided administrative support.