Measuring Innovation in OECD and NON-OECD Countries

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Selected seminar papers It is widely accepted that innovation is key to economic growth. Countries where research and innovation are high on the national agenda are best suited to prosper in the knowledge-based economy. Conversely, countries whose economies are mainly dependent on natural resources and basic industries tend to lack competitiveness and flexibility in adapting to changing global trends. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has long been concerned with the measurement of research and experimental development (R&D) and innovation activities. Under apartheid rule South Africa was barred from participating in OECD activities. Shortly after the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994 the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (now the Department of Science and Technology) initiated the process of applying for observer status on the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy. South Africa gained observer status in 1998. In March 2001, the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and the OECD jointly hosted an international seminar in Pretoria on the measurement of innovation activities in OECD and non-OECD countries. This book is a collection of selected papers that were presented at the seminar by leading international and South African experts in innovation measurement. The chapters reflect various aspects of the measurement of innovation and how these measurements are applied in different countries. The volume contributes to the debate that exists between developing and developed countries on their approaches to the measurement of innovation.

Introduction

Part 1 Theoretical foundation of innovation surveys

Chapter 1: The conceptual fluidity of national innovation systems: Implications for innovation measures
Mario Scerri

Chapter 2: Innovation systems in emerging and developing economies
Jean-Eric Aubert

Chapter 3: Developing the linkage between policy and innovation measurement
Brian Sloan

Chapter 4: Counting the seeds of innovation: The assessment of technological creativity
Christiaan Redelinghuys

Chapter 5: Mapping and measuring: A holistic approach to auditing innovation
Victor Ross and Anton Kleingeld

Chapter 6: Macroeconomic measures for the return on investment in innovation
David Walwyn

Part 2 Approaches to measuring innovation in regions and countries

Chapter 7: Innovation surveys: Lessons from the experiences of OECD countries
Dominique Guellec and Bill Pattinson

Chapter 8: Using the Oslo methodology to measure innovation: The Community Innovation Survey approach
Frank Foyn

Chapter 9: Closing the gaps in systems of innovation research: How to improve the measurement of innovation finance by the Community Innovation Surveys
Ilian Petkov Iliev

Chapter 10: An overview of Latin American innovation surveys
Guillermo Anll

Chapter 11: The Bogot Manual: Standardising innovation indicators for Latin America and the Caribbean
Gustavo Lugones

Chapter 12: Innovation indicators within sub-Saharan Africa: A specific case for Tanzania
Bitrina Diyamett and Samuel Wangwe

Chapter 13: Innovation surveys in Central and Eastern Europe: Results and policy issues
Slavo Radosevic

Chapter 14: South Africas first survey of innovation in the manufacturing sector and recommendations for the next survey
William Blankley and David Kaplan

Chapter 15: Research design for the South African Innovation Survey 2001
Leon Oerlemans, Andr Buys and Marthinus Pretorius

Chapter 16: Estimating disparities, complementarities and gaps between regions and countries: The case of China and its provinces in 1993
Chris de Bresson, Xu Shiqing and Pierre Mohnen

Part 3 Approaches to measuring innovation in sectors

Chapter 17: Key drivers in technologically excellent organizations: A suite of indicators, trends and interpretations
Roy Marcus and Janie Basson

Chapter 18: Understanding technology and economic development in South African industry: The case of the plastics sector
Simon Roberts

Chapter 19: Attempts to survey innovation in the Hungarian service sector
Annamria Inzelt

List of contributors

William Blankley is Director in the Knowledge Management research programme of the HSRC. He holds a MSc (with distinction) from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and an MBA degree from the Graduate School of Business, UCT. Before joining the HSRC William worked as Manager of the Strategic Advice Unit of the National Research Foundation where he was involved in research, reporting and advising on a wide variety of issues in science and technology and the national system of innovation.

Dr Neo Molotja is a Senior Researcher in the Knowledge Management research programme of the HSRC. She holds PhD in Biochemistry, with a focus on biophysics, from the University of Cape Town. Before joining the HSRC, Neo trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cape Town and the Instituto di Studi Chimico-Fisici di Macromolecole Sintetiche e Naturali (IMAG-CNR) in Italy.

Professor Mario Scerri is Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa and a senior research fellow in the institute for Economic Research on Innovation.

Mr Imraan Saloojee is the Manager for Science and Technology for Economic Impact in the national Department of Science and Technology, South Africa