Science, technology and innovation (STI) policies have a central role to play: not only in building national research and development capacities, but also in solving national problems and challenges within the framework of countries’ development policies. Given the region’s structural weaknesses, scarce resources and the need for scale to achieve results, the resources allocated to support science, technology and innovation —or at least part of them— must be channelled into areas of knowledge related to the main challenges the countries face. STI must contribute to the development of sectors and activities that drive the economy and society. Four of them are discussed in this publication: manufacturing industry for the health sector, energy transition, electromobility, and eco-innovation and sustainable production.