Human resources, mobility and the systems approach to innovation

The papers collected in this volume are part of the OECD National Innovation Systems project, which seeks to explore the possibilities for the quantification of systems approaches to innovation. Systems approaches see innovation as a complex collective phenomenon, characterised by interactions between economic agents in the shaping context of infrastructures and institutions. One persistent area of interest in systems approaches has been the institutions and organisations responsible for education at all levels: it has been strongly argued that the interactions between these institutions and industry, in both their educational and knowledge creation functions, have been fundamental in shaping innovation capabilities and economic performance (see David and Foray, 1995, for an influential statement). The chapters in this volume certainly do not treat all of the research and educational issues that are of interest within the systems approach, although they are focused on a key building block for any system-based or economy-wide attempt to analyse education, skills and attainments. This building block is the indicator and analysis issues that arise in seeking to map the structure of human resources, and the mobility of capabilities via labour markets and other forms of personnel exchange.