While the development of new knowledge is becoming increasingly important in the emerging knowledge-based economy, the impact of technology on growth, jobs and welfare is determined largely by the way in which technology is diffused, absorbed and used throughout the economy. For technological...

This report deals with the role and specific problems of SMEs in implementing information technologies (IT), and the possibilities for public policy to support SMEs in their efforts to modernise and adapt to technical change.

Few systematic economic evaluations have been carried out on patent system to better inform policy choices. This report, which covers a range of areas, and highlights some issues that policy makers should address in the near future, including markets for technology, patenting by public reserach...

How does government funding of corporate R&D affect the behaviour of firms? Ongoing efforts to boost business investment in R&D demand better methods of evaluating the effectiveness of government policy instruments. Efforts to explicitly measure changes in the ways firms conduct R&D as a result...

Encouraging Student Interest in Science and Technology Studies examines overall trends in higher education enrolments and the evolution of S&T compared with other disciplines. The results suggest that although absolute numbers of S&T students have been rising as access to higher levels of...

This review of regional innovation assesses how to improve Catalonia's current strategy and actions in order to boost its innovation system through both its own programmes and those of Spain and the European Union. It finds that with over seven million inhabitants and a GDP of around EUR 204...

Innovation drives long-term economic growth. It has a crucial role to play as global economies recover from the current financial crisis. This book examines the role of innovation in developing countries, with a focus on Africa. It investigates innovation systems and their application; the key...

Governments around the world are increasingly intervening in automobile markets to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of CO2 from new vehicles. This report reviews the rationale for such intervention and examines measures for maximum effectiveness and minimum cost. The Round Table brought...