Composition of R&D

We need information on the composition of R&D linked to R&D outputs (on the private side, innovation and productivity; on the public side, publications and human resources). But it is not clear that current categories (either basic/applied/development or the research field taxonomies) are useful, up-to-date, and meaningful to respondents. How can this situation be improved? Do we need better information on cross-disciplinary research?

Industry data are collected at the corporate level, obscuring the heterogeneity of activity in large, diversified companies that account for the majority of R&D and distorting the allocation across sectors. Moreover, there are many uncertainties about technical activity in the service sector. What level of detail on activities in diversified companies is it feasible to collect? Does corporate “management by the numbers”] make it easier? How can we illuminate technical activity in service companies?

Chair: William Barron, Princeton University

A. Field of public sector (federal and university) research

B. Area of business R&D activity

Lunch

R&D Collaborations

Corporations are outsourcing more R&D and collaborating with rivals, customers, suppliers, and university scientists; but the data capture only a narrow slice of these relationships and reveal little about the magnitude of the investments, technical foci, or duration. Are private data sources adequate over the long term? What do firms trade? What relationships do we want to capture on an ongoing basis and how should we do that?

Chair: Don Siegel, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Speakers:

Nick Vonortas, George Washington University

Josh Lerner, Harvard Business School

Break