OECD INNOVATION STRATEGY

MEASURING INNOVATION:
A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Alessandra Colecchia, OECD, DSTI, Economic Analysis and Statistics

www.oecd.org/innovation/strategy/measuring
 Measuring innovation:
What’s new?
• New ways of looking at traditional
indicators
• New experimental indicators that provide
insight into new areas of policy interest
• Measurement gaps and challenges
• A forward-looking measurement agenda
New ways of using data and first time
indicators reveal what’s new

– Extensive use of innovation surveys micro-

data
– Extensive use of administrative data (budget,
taxation)
– Experimental data linking (bibliometrics,
patents, company data)
 NEW PLAYERS ARE EMERGING AND
COLLABORATION IS INTENSIFYING

2008
2003
1998

SIZE OF BUBBLE = Number of scientific publications

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, Paris. THICKNESS OF LINK = Number of co-authorship
 MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IS EMERGING
TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CHALLENGES
Science for “green” innovation

NEW INDICATOR:
matching environmental
patents and scientific
publications using co-
citation analysis

Green technologies (patents) draw on a broad base of scientific knowledge
•Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, based on Scopus Custom Data, Elsevier, July 2009; OECD,
Patent Database, January 2010; and EPO, Worldwide Patent Statistical Database, September 2009. The list of environmental
patent applications has been generated through a search algorithm developed by the OECD and EPO (European Patent Office)
 MARKETS FOR KNOWLEDGE ARE EMERGING

Countries are
performing both
technological and
non-R&D based
innovation.

Catching up
countries have
lower propensity to
innovate or lower
propensity to seek
protection for their
innovations

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, Paris, based on OECD, Patent Database, USPTO, OHIM, JPO and WIPO.
 INNOVATION AS A CATALYST FOR NEW
SOURCES OF GROWTH
Contributions to labour p
productivity
yggrowth,, 1995-2006,, in %

Innovation explains a good portion of labour productivity growth.

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, Paris.

 INVESTING IN INNOVATION = INVESTING IN A
BROAD RANGE OF COMPLEMENTARY ASSETS
Investment in fixed and intangible assets as a share of GDP, 2006

intangibles

Investing
g in innovation goes
g beyond
y R&D. Investment in intangible
g assets is rising
g
and taking over investment in physical capital (machinery and equipment).

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, OECD, Paris, based on COINVEST and research papers, 2009.
 INNOVATION BEYOND R&D

“New to market” product innovators with and without R&D, 2004‐06 
As a percentage of innovators

NEW INDICATORS reveal that in Australia and Norway the propensity to introduce a
new product is similar whether or not the firm performs R&D.

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, OECD, Paris based on OECD Innovation microdata project.
 COLLABORATION INVOLVES ALL TYPES OF FIRMS

Collaboration on innovation, 2004-06

As a percentage of innovative firms by R&D status

NEW INDICATORS reveal that collaboration is used in innovation whether firms

perform a lot of R&D, a little R&D or no R&D at all. Policies that stimulate
collaboration and network initiatives will have an impact on the entire spectrum of
innovative firms.
Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective , OECD, Paris based on OECD Innovation microdata project.
 YOUNG FIRMS AT THE HEART OF INNOVATION

Patenting activity of young ( <5 years) firms, 2005-07

PCT patent filings by young firms as a percentage of filings by firms in each country
%
Share of patents filed by firms under 5 years old
33.5 13.5 4.5 4.2 3.0 2.8 1.6 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.3
25

20 Share of countries
in PCT filed by firms (%)
15

10

0
etherlands

Denmark

Norway
Germany

Spain
d Kingdom

Belgium
United States

Italy
France

Sweden

Finland

Austria
Ne

United

Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective , OECD, Paris, based on OECD HAN Database and ORBIS© Bureau Van Dijk
g
Electronic Publishing.

Note : Data refers to patent applications filed under the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) with a priority in 2005-07. Patent counts are based on the country of
residence of the applicants. The share of young firms is derived from the set of patent applicants successfully matched with business register data.
WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS
DOO TO
O UNLEASH
U S
INNOVATION?
 0
0
%
%

0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
020
0.20
0.25
0.30
0 35
0.35
0.40

0.00
05
0.05
0.10
0.15
20
0.20
0.25
0.30
35
0.35
0.40

0.00
00.05
0.10
0.15
20
00.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
United
UnitedStates
States
Korea (2008)
ass(2008)
(2008)
France
Canadae
France (2008)
ae(2008)
(2008)
Korea
Korea
France (2008)
(2008)
eaa(2008)
Czech
Czech
United Republic
R
Republic
R
States
s (2008)
Spain
B Spain
Belgium
Total

Sweden
SS
Sweden
Austria
Direct

Czech R Austria
Austria
Republic
Finland
Finland
Japan
Norway
Norwayy(2008)
(2008)
Spain
Germany
Germany
G
United Kingdom
m (2008)
United
UnitedKingdomm
Kingdom (2008)
(2008)
mIreland
government

Iceland
Iceland
dd(2008)
(2008)
Hungary
H
Belgium
B Belgium
NorwayyB(2008)
Luxe
Luxe mbourg
embourg
government

Sweden
S
Denmark
Denmarrk k (2008)
(2008)
Denmark k (2008)
Indirect government
support

Hungary
HHungary
H
Netheerlands
R&D, %

Australia
a (2006)
Australia (2006)
Australia
aa(2006)
Ireland
Ireland
Finland
New Zealand
Z
funding

NewP Zealand
Z
Portugal
Italy
Italy
Ge ermany
funding
(direct of

Switzerland
Switzerlandd (2008)
(2008)
Iceland
dd(2008)
Japan
Japan
Luxembourg
Turkey
Turkey
New ZZealand
Slovak
SlovakRepublic
Republicc(2008)
(2008)
Italy
+ indirect)

Nethe erlands
Netherlands
GDP of R&D

Switzerland d (2008)
Canada
business

Canada aa(2008)
(2008)
Turkey
Portugal
PPortugal
P
Slovak Republicc (2008)
S
Poland
Poland
PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO BUSINESS R&D

Poland
P
Mexico
Mexico
R&D

Mexico
Source: OECD (2010), Measuring Innovation: A New Perspective, OECD, Paris based on NESTI 2009 R&D tax incentives questionnaire.

Greece
Greece
ee(2005)
(2005)
Greecee (2005)
to business
INNOVATION MEASUREMENT
AGENDA
‰1 - Develop innovation metrics that can be linked to
aggregate measures of economic performance;
‰ 2 - Invest
I in
i a comprehensive,
h i hi
high-quality
h li d data
infrastructure for measuring impacts
‰ 3 - Promote metrics of innovation in the public
sector and for public policy evaluation;
‰ 4 - Find new and interdisciplinary
p y approaches
pp to capturing
p g
knowledge creation and flows;
‰ 5 - Promote measurement of innovation for social goals
andd off social
i l iimpacts
t off iinnovation
ti
OECD INNOVATION STRATEGY
MEASURING INNOVATION:
A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Alessandra Colecchia, OECD, DSTI, Economic Analysis and Statistics

www.oecd.org/innovation/strategy/measuring