This post is a summary of three articles: the first with the title above, published
http://www.jatm.com.br/papers/vol2_n1/JATMv2n1_editorial_The_importance_of_research_for_progress, in 2010, written by Herman Voorwald, Provost of UNESP. The second, with the title of, " ERC president stresses the importance of investment in research on Austria TV." Published at http://erc.europa.eu, in 2013. The third with the title of, " Patents and innovation: trends and policy challenges." Published at http://www.oecd.org/sti/sci-tech/24508541.pdf, in 2004.
http://www.jatm.com.br/papers/vol2_n1/JATMv2n1_editorial_The_importance_of_research_for_progress, in 2010, written by Herman Voorwald, Provost of UNESP. The second, with the title of, " ERC president stresses the importance of investment in research on Austria TV." Published at http://erc.europa.eu, in 2013. The third with the title of, " Patents and innovation: trends and policy challenges." Published at http://www.oecd.org/sti/sci-tech/24508541.pdf, in 2004.
The importance of research and R&D investment has become more evident every day, among the factors directly related to the good economic performance of the countries. Although there could be differences between the economic growth models, for instance, South Korean and Chinese models, all of such models are based upon substantial investments in the production of knowledge. The data from the present decade ( 2000-2009 ) indicate that the three state universities from the state of Sao Paulo contribute with 40% of the overall brazilian scientific production.The present global scenario demostrate that the brazilian research and higher education institutions can not avoid their responsibility in the efforts for economic and social development. Furthermore, such scenario evidences that participation in this process is also a challenge for both public authorities and the industrial sector in the country.
ERC ( European Research Council ) president Helga Nowotny made an appearance on the austrian talkshow, where she commented on the current EU budget negotiations for the research budget, and the role of research and innovation in development aid. She stressed the importance of investment in education, research and innovation. She gave an update on the on going EU budget negotiations stating that the current budget plans for research and innovation were not as severe affected as she feared it would be. Professor Helga Nowotny concluded that it is necessary to raise awareness on the enormous potential of science, she hopes to fulfil what she calls a "duty" to give citizens a complete picture of the promising perspectives offered by science.
Patents play an increasingly role in innovation and economic performance. Scientific and technological advances have created new waves of innovation, notably in ICT and biotechnology, and innovation processes have become centred less on individual firms and more dependent on interactions among global networks of actors in the public and private sectors. What aspects of patent policy in OECD countries can be seen as successful, or have failure occurred? These questions are central and highlights some unresolved issues that policy makers should address in the future:
- Governments need to improve their knowledge of markets for tech in order to support their development in the most socially beneficial directions.
- Encouraging patenting by public research organizations.
- In biotech, possibility of obtaining patent protection attracted capital need in this area.
- Software are new subject matter for patents.
Although nearly all tech fields grew in patenting over the 1990s, two contributted disproportionately: biotech and ICT. An immediate issue is to assess how areas of tech and knowledge are addressed by the patent system. Software, genetics and nanotech, are subject to controversy.
PATENTS GRANTED/MILLION, BY COUNTRY/2001source:WIPO by nationmaster.com
1º - Japan - 994 19º - Australia - 7
2º - South Korea - 779 29º - Spain - 42
3º - USA - 289 30º - Canada - 3
4º - Sweden - 271 31º - Poland - 30
4º - Sweden - 271 31º - Poland - 30
5º - Germany - 235 41º - Italy - 13 6º - France - 205 44º - Argentina - 8 8º - Netherlands - 189 49º - Brazil - 2
9º - Finland - 187 52º - Colombia - 1
18º - UK - 82 52º - China - 1
PATENTS APPLICATIONS/MILLION, BY COUNTRY/2009
1º - Sweden - 311 12º - USA - 138
2º - Switzerland - 287 14º - France - 110
3º - Finland - 277 24º - Italy - 58
4º - Israel - 235 38º - China - 6.5
5º - Japan - 210 44º - Russia - 5.4
7º - Germany - 203 46º - Chile - 3.8
9º - South Korea - 161 48º - Brazil - 2.8
11º - Norway - 143 58º - Mexico - 1.6
