It is widely recognized that "national innovation systems" (Soete et al., 2010) are different from each other, even in a set of highly developed countries such as the OECD which are the subject of an empirical analysis presented in the first part of this joint presentation. It is not just the size of R&D investments that differs, but also the nature of these expenditures (e.g. mission-oriented vs more fundamental, basic research in universities). There are also important institutional differences, e.g., whether universities are fully autonomous, or more government controlled (see Aghion et al., 2010). The presence and funding structure of Research and Technology Organisations (RTO's) will also differ between countries, whereas the private corporate sector is likely to differ strongly in structure e.g., the presence of large multinational corporations vs. small firms, the importance of new entrepreneurial firms vs. incumbent firms with vested interests, etc. From an economic point of view, differences will exist in the international openness of the country, and the type of role that the government plays (laissez faire vs. more directive). Although we are not able to estimate the effect of these differences individually, the essence of the econometric approach presented first is to allow all these factors to have an impact on how investment in R&D affects productivity and economic growth in some 16 OECD countries.
Recognizing such country variety will be essential in developing the appropriate national mission-oriented research and innovation (R&I) policies as argued in the second part of the presentation. Such mission-oriented R&I policy represents a major shift in research and innovation policy design. Increasing competitiveness, promoting economic growth or job creation were typically the criteria against which traditional R&I policy was measured and held accountable for. In the case of a mission-oriented R&I policy, such accountability will now have to refer to the achievement of targets and milestones as defined for the specific mission. Such accountability will also require constant feedback and evaluation, i.e. some form of performance measurement based on credible indicators. A system that allows for successful mission-oriented R&I policy will have in other words to be "intelligent", in the sense that it should be able to learn and adapt over time, reflecting feedback on the changing conditions in the external context, as well as data on whether existing actions are producing the desired effect. In addition, an effective, adaptive and flexible system should also be given enough freedom to experiment with different solutions, including both "safe bets" and more "high-risk-high reward" paths.
Simplified personal history
Dr. Luc Soete, Ad Interim Director of UNU-CRIS / Dean of the Institute for European Studies / Professorial Fellow of UNU-MERIT
Prof. dr. Luc Soete (1950: Brussels) obtained an economics degree from Ghent University and a PhD in economics from the University of Sussex. He then embarked on a research career in Britain and the United States, producing new economic insights on the Schumpeterian dynamics of innovation. In 1986 he was appointed professor of International Economic Relations at the School of Business and Economics of Maastricht University in The Netherlands. Two years later he established the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT), which quickly grew into a leading research institute in the economic analysis of technological development and innovation and became part of United Nations University (UNU) in 2005. He was director of MERIT since its conception in 1988 and became director of the newly integrated institute UNU-MERIT in 2005 till 2012. In 2010 he became a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). From 2012 till 2016, he was Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University (UM). In September 2016 he retired and became Honorary Professor at Maastricht University.
Currently Luc Soete is ad interim Director of the UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Bruges, Belgium (July 2019-December 2019). Since October 1st, 2019, he is Dean of the Institute of Economic Studies and Vesalius College of the Free University of Brussels (VUB), Belgium. He is also a member (Vice-Chairman) of the supervisory board of the Technical University Delft (TUD) and a member of the “Commissie Doelmatigheid Hoger Onderwijs” (CDHO) in The Netherlands. At the international level, he is a member of the Advisory Board of the Sussex Business School at Sussex University. He is a member of the board of Mediahuis Limburg. Economic Relations at the School of Business and Economics of Maastricht University in The Netherlands. Two years later he established the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT), which quickly grew into a leading research institute in the economic analysis of technological development and innovation and became part of United Nations University (UNU) in 2005. He was director of MERIT since its conception in 1988 and became director of the newly integrated institute UNU-MERIT in 2005 till 2012. In 2010 he became a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). From 2012 till 2016, he was Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University (UM). In September 2016 he retired and became Honorary Professor at Maastricht University. Currently Luc Soete is ad interim Director of the UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Bruges, Belgium (July 2019-December 2019). Since October 1st, 2019, he is Dean of the Institute of Economic Studies and Vesalius College of the Free University of Brussels (VUB), Belgium. He is also a member (Vice-Chairman) of the supervisory board of the Technical University Delft (TUD) and a member of the “Commissie Doelmatigheid Hoger Onderwijs” (CDHO) in The Netherlands. At the international level, he is a member of the Advisory Board of the Sussex Business School at Sussex University. He is a member of the board of Mediahuis Limburg.
Dr. Bart Verspagen, Director of UNU-MERIT / Director-Dean of the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MGSoG) at Maastricht University.
Bart Verspagen is an economist specialised in the economics of technological change. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Limburg (now called Maastricht University) in Maastricht, the Netherlands, from 1984 - 1988. After that, he obtained a PhD degree from the same university in 1992. During the five years after that, he held a scholarship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). His workplace is the Economics Department of Maastricht University, as well as the research institute UNU-MERIT in Maastricht. At the university, he holds the chair of International Economics. Verspagen's research interests are fairly broad. The centre area is the process of economic growth, and its relation to technological change. This also brings him into areas such as international trade theory, industrial dynamics, economic and technology history, and applied econometrics, statistics and mathematical modelling. With regard to the latter, he has mainly been applying evolutionary theory to economics. This includes simulation modelling of international economies.
