Alongside sustained growth in foreign direct investment (FDI), in trade and in the internationalisation of research and development (R&D), mobility of human resources in science and technology (HRST) has become a central aspect of globalisation. Migration of talent now plays an important role in shaping skilled labour forces throughout the OECD area.

This chapter sets the scene for the discussion of the mobility of the highly skilled workforce and for the policy issues arising from an increasing trend in this area.

This chapter reviews the literature and the evidence on how the international mobility of skilled people influences the diffusion of knowledge across borders. It discusses recent analyses of the significance of the mobility of human resources in science and technology for knowledge formation and use, the motives for this migration, and the effects of mobility on both sending and receiving countries.

This chapter presents the available data on international mobility as a basis for exploring issues relating to the patterns of mobility and innovation, the importance of mobility of scientific and technological workers in the innovation process, and the impacts of OECD and non- OECD mobility.

Chapter 4 provides the most recent information on current mobility policies in selected member countries, gathered via a questionnaire sent to members of the OECD’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Steering and Funding of Research Institutions. It explores the policies adopted by various OECD governments, highl ight ing commonalities and differences.

Chapter 5 discusses the role of government policy in the area of international mobility of human resources for science and technology. It considers future policy options by examining the underlying rationale for government intervention, exploring the potential scope, objectives and approaches of future mobility policies and discussing the importance of the coherence between mobility policy and other government policies.