Government, Innovation and Technology Policy ( New Horizons in the Economics of Innovation series )

This unique book offers a comprehensive analysis of the changing role of government with respect to domestic technology development in eight countries in both the developed and the developing world. The author distinguishes between those countries which can be classed as creators of new technologies (Japan, Korea and Israel) and those which possess the potential to create new technologies (Singapore, Malaysia, India, South Africa and Brazil).

The author details the fiscal and non-fiscal policy measures each country employs to stimulate investments in R&D in the enterprise sector. He finds that, for financial instruments such as tax incentives and research grants to succeed, a strong emphasis also needs to be placed on non-fiscal policy measures. The most important of these is human resource development which is emphasised as an integral component of successful innovation policy. The book is written in a manner which allows the comparison of results between each country.

Government, Innovation and Technology Policy will be a valuable text for governments, NGOs and multilateral institutions interested in the practicalities of promoting innovation at the enterprise level. It will also be useful supplementary reading for scholars and students of the theory and practice of innovation policy.

Sunil Mani, Visiting Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala and Ahmedabad University, Gujarat, India