In the largest independent opinion study carried out in Latin America, the Somos Innovación (SI) survey shows that innovation plays a very important role in the lives of Latin Americans.
The results of the five thousand respondents in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico are clear: people want to have access to more innovation in their lives, whether through products or services, or through better paying job opportunities and jobs. Latin Americans undoubtedly value the opportunities that innovation brings to their lives.
Therefore, it is not surprising that 87% of respondents believe that promoting innovation is crucial for both economic growth and job creation. In line with this perception is the fact that the majority (84%) stated that they are also users of products and services derived from innovative ideas.
Regarding regulation and bureaucratic obstacles, the results of the survey are clear.
Thus, when regulating innovative products or services, 82% in the five countries surveyed think that it is important for the government to take into account the opinion of the citizenry. 85% of respondents argue that, in a democracy, governments should encourage innovation as it creates greater freedom of choice for people.
Meanwhile, a large majority in each of the surveyed countries (73% on average) believe that innovation is restricted by their national bureaucracies. In addition, 74% maintains that it is important that governments do not restrict or stop innovative products and services when they are just starting out and may not be fully understood by regulators.
Latin Americans (84%) also expressed themselves very clearly regarding the need to have organizations that defend innovation in each of the countries surveyed. At the Somos Innovación network we believe we are very well positioned to fulfill this mandate, given our growing presence throughout the region.
In conclusion, these results show, without question, that people want more innovation. Also that innovation is good for governments and for the private sector. On the other hand, poorly conceived regulation is seen as a cost and as a distortion of economic dynamics, as something that places an artificial limit on innovation and encourages the lack of clear rules for both consumers and innovators.
