Transition in Research Intensity

I wanted to share this great graph prepared by Carl Dahlman for a paper he delivered at the Joint OECD-World Bank Conference on Innovation and Sustainable Growth in a Globalised World. (He and Carlos Braga presented their papers again last week in a session at the World Bank that I was able to attend.)

The size of the circles on the graph are the total R&D expenditures for the countries. The graph compares R&D indicators for emerging S&T powers (Brazil, India, China, and South Korea) with advanced developed nations (France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States).

The obvious conclusions are:

• That there is a transition from lower to higher investments in R&D with social and economic development;
• China, because of its large population, has become the third largest funder of R&D in the world (after the United States and Japan) even with relatively low per capita expenditures on R&D and per capita R&D personnel.

The graph does not seem to fit a straight line too well. I would like to see more countries plotted. But there is no reason that I can think of to assume that the increases in expenditures and personnel would increase by constant percentages.

I recommend the seminar!