The Sábato triangle ( es, Triángulo de Sabato) is a model concerned with linkages between science, industry and government, which has informed discussions of science policy throughout Latin America. It was developed during the 1960s and 1970s by the Argentine physicist and metallurgist
Jorge Alberto Sábato, of the
National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA, the Argentine government agency overseeing development of nuclear power in the country).
Brief description
The idea of the triangle was proposed by
John Kenneth Galbraith and developed by Sábato as a model of
policy
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...
-making in science and technology.
The model is based on the concept that in order for a scientific-technological system to exist in practice it is necessary for three sectors to be strongly linked together over the long term: the
State (which formulates and implements policy); the scientific and technological infrastructure (which provides technology); and the productive sector (which uses technology). These ''interrelationships'' are portrayed in the form of a
triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC.
In Euclidean geometry, an ...
.
Further, each "
vertex
Vertex, vertices or vertexes may refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics and computer science
*Vertex (geometry), a point where two or more curves, lines, or edges meet
*Vertex (computer graphics), a data structure that describes the position ...
" needs to have strong ''internal relations'', that is to say, relations between the different institutions contained within itself. For example, within the State there needs to be coherence between "implicit" policy and "explicit" policy, between different
ministries
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian mi ...
and autonomous organizations, and so on. The other factor considered is the ''external relations'' between the "vertices" and outside entities.
The triangle has been used to shed light on technological
dependency. The model predicts that the stronger the external relations, the weaker or non-existent will be the interrelationships and the internal relations, and this will delay the country in reducing its dependency.
Impact
The Sábato Triangle won acceptance in several countries of Latin America, having an effect upon science and technology policy there and disseminating the belief that the State had an important role in promoting
technology transfer
Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...
.
However, a separation of the three components of the "triangle" has still been observed in more recent times.
See also
*
Jorge A. Sábato institute
References
* Carlos Martínez Vidal, C., ''Idealista entre pragmáticos y humanista entre tecnólogos'' ("An idealist among pragmatists and a humanist among technologists"), pp. 3–24. In: ''Sábato in CNEA'', National Commission of Atomic Energy, National University of General San Martín, 1996.
* Sábato, J., ''El triángulo nos enseña donde estamos'' ("The triangle shows us where we stand"). In: Sábato, J., ''Ensayos en campera'', Juárez Editor, 1979.
{{refend
External links
Family tree of the Sábato family.*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060528044302/http://www.clubdelprogreso.com/index.php?sec=04_05&sid=43&id=2422 "Jorge Sábato" by
Mario Bunge
Mario Augusto Bunge (; ; September 21, 1919 – February 24, 2020) was an Argentine-Canadian philosopher and physicist. His philosophical writings combined scientific realism, systemism, materialism, emergentism, and other principles.
He was ...
.
Biography of Prof. Jorge A. Sábato.
Philosophy of science
Political theories
Science policy