The OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook (STI Outlook) is prepared under the aegis of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP), with input from its working parties. CSTP Delegates contributed significantly through their responses to the joint European Commission/OECD International Survey on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP Compass). Renowned experts provided valuable contributions (“In my view”) to broaden and deepen the debate.
The 2018 STI Outlook is a collective effort, co-ordinated by the Science and Technology Policy (STP) Division of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI). It is produced under the guidance of Dominique Guellec. Michael Keenan and Philippe Larrue served as overall co-ordinators, and Sylvain Fraccola as the administrative co-ordinator.
Chapter 1, “An introduction to the 2018 edition of the STI Outlook”, was prepared by Michael Keenan and Philippe Larrue, with inputs from Dominique Guellec.
Chapter 2, “Artificial intelligence and the technologies of the Next Production Revolution”, was prepared by Alistair Nolan (DSTI). It draws in parts on the first chapter (“The next production revolution: Key issues and policy proposals”) of the 2017 OECD publication, The Next Production Revolution: Implications for Governments and Business. This chapter benefited from the observations of David Rosenfeld of the DSTI Economic Analysis and Statistics Division, Luis Aranda, of the DSTI Division for Digital Economy Policy, Luke Mackle, of the OECD’s Global Relations Secretariat, as well as inputs from Linde Wester, who is currently completing a PhD on quantum computing at Oxford University. This chapter also benefited from the contribution of Greg Ameyugo of CEA Tech List.
Chapter 3, “Perspectives on innovation policies in the digital age”, was prepared by Dominique Guellec and Caroline Paunov (DSTI). It is based on the OECD Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP) “Digital and open innovation” project. This chapter benefited from contributions by Sandra Planes Satorra (DSTI), Erik Brynjolfsson and Avinash Collis of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Luc Soete of the University of Maastricht. Detailed feedback from TIP and CSTP experts and delegates is gratefully acknowledged.
Chapter 4, “STI policies for delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals”, was prepared by Mario Cervantes and Soon Jeong Hong (DSTI). This chapter benefited from contributions by Ian Hughes of University College Cork and Alfred Watkins of the Global Solutions Summit.
Chapter 5, “Artificial intelligence and machine learning in science”, was prepared by Ross D. King of the University of Manchester and Stephen Roberts of the Alan Turing Institute at the University of Oxford, under the guidance of Alistair Nolan (DSTI). This chapter also benefited from the contribution of Gary Marcus of New York University.
Chapter 6, “Enhanced access to data for science, technology and innovation”, was prepared by Alan Paic and Carthage Smith (DSTI). It is based on recent activities of the CSTP and OECD Global Science Forum (GSF). This chapter benefited from contributions by Hon Michael Keenan MP of the Australian Government and Michelle Willmers of the University of Cape Town.
Chapter 7, “Gender in a changing context for STI”, was prepared by Elizabeth Pollitzer of the Portia Organisation, Carthage Smith (DSTI) and Claartje Vinkenburg of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Chapter 8, “Public research funding: New funding approaches and instruments”, was prepared by Dominique Guellec, Philippe Larrue and Frédéric Sgard (DSTI). It is based on recent CSTP and GSF activities. This chapter benefited from the contribution of Erik Arnold of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Chapter 9, “The governance of public research policy across OECD countries”, was prepared by Martin Borowiecki and Caroline Paunov (DSTI). It is based on TIP work on knowledge transfer between industry and science. Cynthia Lavison, Andrés Barreneche, Diogo Machado, Evgeny Moiseichev, Tadanori Moriguchi, Sandra Planes Satorra, Akira Tachibana and Malte Tötzke helped develop the OECD Database on Governance of Public Research (RESGOV). Detailed feedback on the policy questionnaire from TIP and CSTP experts and delegates is gratefully acknowledged.
Chapter 10, “Technology governance and the innovation process”, was prepared by Sebastian Pfotenhauer of the Technical University of Munich and David Winickoff (DSTI). It is based on recent OECD Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies activities. This chapter benefited from the contribution of David Guston of Arizona State University.
Chapter 11, “New approaches in policy design and experimentation”, was prepared by Piret Tõnurist of the OECD Directorate of Public Governance and Territorial Development. It is based on recent OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation activities.
Chapter 12, “The digitalisation of science and innovation policy”, was prepared by Fernando Galindo-Rueda, Michael Keenan, Daniel Ker and Dmitry Plekhanov (DSTI), based on work conducted by the CSTP and its Working Party of National Experts on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI). This chapter benefited from the contribution of Clinton Watson of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Chapter 13, “Mixing experimentation and targeting: Innovative entrepreneurship policy in a digitised world”, was prepared by Carlo Menon of the DSTI Structural Policy Division, based on work conducted by the OECD Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This chapter benefited from the contribution of Marco Cantamessa of Politecnico di Torino University.
Chapter 14, “Blue Sky perspectives towards the next generation of data and indicators on science and innovation”, was prepared by Fernando Galindo-Rueda (Economic Analysis and Statistics Division in DSTI) developing further a previous summary of the main messages arising from the OECD Blue Sky Forum held in Ghent 2016, an event organised by the OECD Working Party of National Experts on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI).
All the chapters of the 2018 STI Outlook were reviewed by Sarah Box, Dominique Guellec, Dirk Pilat and Andrew Wyckoff of the DSTI. The team thanks them for their valuable comments and guidance.
The overall publication owes much to Sylvain Fraccola who designed the infographics, and Blandine Serve for her statistical support. Thanks to Fernando Galindo-Rueda, Silvia Appelt, Hélène Dernis and Brigitte Van Beuzekom (DSTI) for their helpful statistical inputs. Giulia Ajmone Marsan (OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship), Andres Barreneche (DSTI) and Gernot Hutschenreiter (DSTI) also contributed.
The authors are grateful to Florence Hourtouat and Beatrice Jeffries for their secretarial assistance. Special thanks to Janine Treves of the OECD Public Affairs and Communication Directorate for her guidance, and to Romy de Courtay for her editorial contributions and bibliographic research. Their engagement had a significant effect on the publication’s overall quality.