This book discusses the promotion of ICT clusters in Latin America by analyzing the development of the Costa Rican cluster in particular, an often celebrated case of successful policy in the region. Costa Rica, a small country traditionally known for its coffee and wildlife, managed to build an information technology cluster within ten years, becoming the leading producer of ICT per capita in Latin America. Studying the Costa Rican case provides a solid starting point for understanding the challenges of building ICT clusters in Latin America.

Luciano Ciravegna is Lecturer in Strategy and International Business, Royal Holloway School of Management, University of London, Visiting Professor, INCAE Business School, Costa Rica and Visiting Fellow, The London School of Economics

1. Introduction: Searching for Sustainable Development Models in Latin America 2. Theoretical Background 3. Building ICT Clusters in Latin America: The Costa Rican Experience 4. From Foreign Direct Investment to Multinational Corporations' Networks with Local Firms 5. Financial Networks: Investors Networks in the Costa Rican Cluster 6. Networks of Costa Rican ICT Producers: Local Rivalries in a Small Market 7. Innovation Networks: Linking Academia and the Private Sector 8. Local Companies' Networks with Firms Located Abroad: Building Transnational Social Ties 9. Conclusion