This presentation explores the possibilities offered by informal communities of practice to operate as "prototyping spaces" for innovation in the context of developing economies. It begins by looking at the concept of "economic complexity" and how it is useful in both guiding the priorities and evaluating the challenges developing economies face when attempting to drive growth and build measures of resilience, and raises the question of how these economies can both introduce higher complexity activities while compensating for latecomer disadvantages versus more complex economies. It then examines in detail the case of the Twin Eagles Group, a Peruvian video game development community in the 1990s, and how they reverse engineered technologies and global practices to pursue their creative objectives. Based on this case, it concludes by laying out some of the methodological challenges associated to researching this sort of community because of the multi-sited nature of their activities.

1. The Networks Are Out
There
Building Cultural and Economic Resilience Through
Informal Communities of Practice
Eduardo Marisca
Comparative Media Studies @ MIT

2. Agenda
1.Networks of economic complexity
2.Innovation through reverse engineering
3.The challenges of uncovering networks
4.Key takeaways

3. Agenda
1.Networks of economic complexity
2.Innovation through reverse engineering
3.The challenges of uncovering networks
4.Key takeaways

6. If you export it, you make it
If you make it, you have all the skills to do so

10. New skills
New combinations

14. Lesser Complexity = Higher Vulnerability

15. How do you gain new skills?

17. Agenda
1.Networks of economic complexity
2.Innovation through reverse engineering
3.The challenges of uncovering networks
4.Key takeaways

18. Media Innovation

23. 1989

29. Reverse Engineering

30. Technical

31. Social

36. 2003

38. Agenda
1.Networks of economic complexity
2.Innovation through reverse engineering
3.The challenges of uncovering networks
4.Key takeaways

39. Invisible

40. Research Challenges

41. I
Global / Local

43. Transnational
Transmedia

44. II
Access

45. III
Reciprocity

46. Traces

47. Network

49. Agenda
1.Networks of economic complexity
2.Innovation through reverse engineering
3.The challenges of uncovering networks
4.Key takeaways

51. I
Developing economies need innovative ways
to introduce new skills

53. II
Uncharted pockets of innovation are
overcoming structural barriers through
forms of reverse engineering

55. III
Better understanding of these networks
can unblock opportunities for
innovation, creativity and productivity

57. IV
Uncovering and mapping these networks
benefits from a mixed-methods approach
and introduces new research challenges

58. The End
emarisca@mit.edu
http://www.mutaciones.pe
@piscosour