Mobility of Human Resources and Systems of Innovation

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A Review of Literature In any system of innovation, the constituency of participating individuals plays a large role in determining its strengths and weaknesses. A fundamentally mobile resource, individuals are influenced by a complex nexus of factors prompting their movements. This book reviews the literature on the topic. It is designed as a resource for anyone interested in analysing human mobility and the factors and policies through which it influences innovation. It consists of three sections. The first provides a historical and theoretical background to studying mobility and its relationship to innovative capacity. The second looks at the empirical measurement of mobility and evidence of its relationship to innovative performance. The third reviews policies used to affect the mobility of highly skilled individuals. Throughout the study, the focus is on the South African experience and its relation to the African and broader international experience.

Dr Thomas E. Pogue is a research fellow at the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation (IERI), based at the Faculty of Economics and Finance, Tshwane University of Technology. His research interests cover the areas of development, collaboration, and the economics of technology change. He holds a Doctorate in Economics from Maastricht University in The Netherlands. Before joining IERI, Thomas worked at the CSIR Policy Group. Previously, Thomas also worked for the Center for Economic Development, based at the Department of Resource Economics, University of Nevada, Reno in the United States.