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Innovation policies: increased focus on tax incentives and industry-university linkages

In 2006, 20 OECD countries offered tax relief for R&D compared to 12 in 1995

many OECD governments have encouraged universities to patent their inventions

While decreasing slightly, to about 7%, in the countries that pioneered such policies (Australia, Canada and the United States), the share has increased markedly in Japan and the European Union, notably in France and in Germany, although levels remain modest (1.5% in Japan, 3% in the EU, but more than 5% in France).

Co-operation between industry and public research institutions

The Nordic countries (especially Finland) and Belgium are ahead of other countries

S&T and innovation performance: the rise of new players

In terms of specialisation, patent data show that emerging economies (India, China, Israel, Singapore) and the United States focus their innovative efforts on high-technology industries (computers, pharmaceuticals) while continental Europe concentrates on medium-high-technology industries (automobiles, chemicals).

Innovation surveys show that large firms have a greater tendency to innovate than small ones.

California and Tokyo are by far the most inventive regions in ICT and biotechnology

The United States has the most biotechnology firms (close to 2 200), followed by Japan and France (around 800 each). In most countries, biotechnology represents 2 to 6% of business R&D but the share is higher in the United States, Switzerland and Canada, and above all in some smaller countries where it exceeds 20% (Denmark, New Zealand, Iceland).

The United States and Japan have a comparative advantage in biotechnology and nanotechnology patenting and in the relevant scientific fields, while the EU is the world leader in environment-related technologies (solid waste, renewable energy and motor vehicle abatement), with Germany playing a very active role. Japan is second to the EU in all three environmental technology fields. However, while patenting in renewable energy and motor vehicle abatement has been increasing rapidly since the mid-1990s, patenting in solid waste technologies has declined.

High- and medium-high-technology manufacturing accounts for significant shares of exports from Ireland, Japan and Switzerland (shares of over 75%) as well as from Germany, Hungary, Korea and the United States. Among the BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa), these industries' exports are most important in China and Brazil, accounting for 55 and 32%, respectively, of total exports of manufactured and primary products. Because of the globalisation of value chains, a economy such as China imports more high-technology goods than it exports; much of these imports are components that are assembled in Chinese factories.