Conceptual Reframing of Science and Technology Development Cooperation

Purpose: Despite the crucial role that science and technology (S&T) have played in development cooperation, the concept of “science and technology development cooperation” remains vague and inconsistently defined. This study investigates the structural causes of this conceptual ambiguity and proposes a new definition and analytical framework to clarify the concept and enable more consistent classification and assessment. Originality: The unclear definition of science and technology development cooperation has hindered clear scope-setting, classification, and evaluation. This study addresses the issue by providing conceptual and practical frameworks with new perspective. Methodology: This study identifies the structural limitations of the existing concept of S&T development cooperation and proposes a theoretical and conceptual analytical framework for its reframing. To this end, it first examines the formation and historical evolution of the concept. Second, it diagnoses the structural constraints that hinder conceptual coherence from institutional, discursive, and practical perspectives. Third, it draws on documents from major international organizations and donor countries, as well as actual development cooperation cases, to extract relevant CRS purpose codes in order to capture the scope of S&T development cooperation. Finally, based on the extracted codes, it structures the conceptual scope of S&T development cooperation and proposes a multidimensional analytical framework. Result: Based on an analysis of 296 CRS purpose codes, the study identifies 45 codes that fall within the scope of science and technology development cooperation, thereby reaffirming the conceptual complexity and dispersed nature of this field. Furthermore, the study argues that S&T development cooperation should not be defined by a single criterion, but rather approached through five analytical dimensions: target level, implementing actor, application field, type of cooperation, and intended impact. These dimensions serve as the foundation for a new analytical framework that redefines S&T development cooperation as a strategic partnership model. Conclusion and Implication: This study redefines the concept as a strategic domain for building autonomous innovation capacity and proposes a practical and conceptual framework for its design and evaluation. Policy-wise, the study calls for the introduction of policy markers and revisions to the CRS classification system to enable clearer categorization and more effective measurement. Academically, it offers a theoretical foundation for future research and empirical validation in the field.