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This series represents a compilation of the biosafety consensus documents developed by the OECD Working Group on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology over the periods 2011-12 (Volume 5) and 2013-15 (Volume 6). Volumes 5 and 6 describe the biology, centres of origin, genetics, hybridisation, production and use, and ecology elements of several crops (sugarcane, cassava, sorghum, common bean, cucurbits) and trees (eucalyptus species). They also provide considerations on pathogenicity factors in assessing the potential adverse health effects of bacteria, and the low level presence of transgenic plants in seed and grain commodities.
The consensus documents contain information for use during the regulatory assessment of products of modern biotechnology, i.e. transgenic organisms (plants, animals, micro-organisms), when intended for release in the environment. As such, it should be of value to applicants for use of genetically-engineered organisms in agriculture mainly, to regulators and risk assessors in national authorities for their biosafety assessments, as well as the wider scientific community. More information on this OECD programme is found at BioTrack online (www.oecd.org/biotrack).
 

These OECD Biosafety Consensus Documents identify elements of scientific information used in the environmental safety and risk assessment of transgenic organisms which are common to OECD member countries.  This is intended to encourage information sharing and prevent duplication of effort among countries. This book offers ready access to those consensus documents which have been published thus far. As such, it should be of value to applicants for commercial uses of transgenic crops, regulators in national authorities as well as the wider scientific community. More information on the OECD's work related to the biosafety of transgenic organisms is found at BioTrack Online (http://www.oecd.org/biotrack).

These OECD Biosafety Consensus Documents identify elements of scientific information used in the environmental safety and risk assessment of transgenic organisms which are common to OECD member countries.  This is intended to encourage information sharing and prevent duplication of effort among countries. This book offers ready access to those consensus documents which have been published thus far. As such, it should be of value to applicants for commercial uses of transgenic crops, regulators in national authorities as well as the wider scientific community. More information on the OECD's work related to the biosafety of transgenic organisms is found at BioTrack Online (http://www.oecd.org/biotrack).

The impact of information technology, innovation and entrepreneurship on economic performance is the subject of heated debate. Despite the current economic downturn, changes in these factors have brought about crucial, lasting changes to the growth dynamics of OECD countries.

This special edition of the Science, Technology and Industry Outlook takes a closer look at the ways in which these factors are evolving and how they relate to each other. It examines the main problem areas and recommends a number of policy responses. The areas which receive in-depth consideration include policies to increase returns from ICT investment, software, telecom reform, raising returns from R&D, industry science relations, and policies to facilitate the entry of new firms as well as the exit of existing uncompetitive ones. A key message is that an improved performance requires coherent and comprehensive policy responses. While domestic policy must take the lead in many areas, some of the obstacles to communication, scientific development, innovation and entrepreneurship cannot be removed through national measures alone. The report highlights a number of issues which require international solutions that can only be implemented through improved international co-operation.

As the world interconnects, science, technology and innovation policies cannot be seen as standing alone. There is a growing interest from central banks and ministries of finance in improving the understanding of how science, technology and innovation create value in the form of increased productivity and profits, and contribute to the valuation of enterprises, and ultimately stimulate the growth and competitiveness of economies. This conference proceedings of the OECD Blue Sky II Forum describes some of the policy needs, measurement issues, and challenges in describing cross-cutting and emerging topics in science, technology and innovation (STI). It also presents ideas to exploit existing data and develop new frameworks of measurement in order to guide future development of STI indicators at the OECD and beyond.

This book offers a comprehensive assessment of the innovation system of Viet Nam, focusing on the role of government and providing concrete recommendations on how to improve policies that affect innovation and R&D performance.

This report looks at how scientific advice can best support crisis management during transnational crises, such as those provoked by natural hazards or pandemics. Scientific advice has an important role to play in all phases of the crisis management cycle - preparedness, response and recovery.  It can be particularly valuable during the sense-making period when a crisis occurs and develops.  However, this value is dependent on the quality and timeliness of the advice and most importantly its relevance to the decisions that crisis managers and policy-makers have to make during a crisis. Generating rigorous scientific advice requires access to relevant data, information and expertise, across scientific disciplines and across borders. Ensuring this advice is useful requires effective connections between scientific advisory processes and crisis management mechanisms, including at the international level.

As the pace of technological change accelerates, reaching the digital frontier – and staying there – is increasingly challenging. This report analyses Norway’s digital performance, policies and priorities to inform the development of a new national digital strategy that seeks to sharpen Norway’s competitive edge and ensure that digital transformation benefits all Norwegians. It outlines the digital priorities and trends that will shape Norway’s digital future and maps its digital policy ecosystem. The report further assesses Norway’s digital performance based on the OECD Going Digital Toolkit dashboard of indicators and analyses its digital policies through the lens of the OECD Going Digital Integrated Policy Framework. It concludes with policy recommendations to achieve a more digital, innovative and inclusive Norway.

This report presents the most recent trends in the labour market demand for digital professionals and skills, highlighting where bottlenecks are emerging and policy action is – and will be – needed to support individuals who aim to thrive in the digital transition. The report analyses a wide range of digital occupations and the associated skill and technology demands using a unique set of data collected from millions of job postings published online in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore and Spain. The evidence contained in this report is key for governments to design targeted retraining and upskilling policies, and for workers to fully benefit from the digital transition.

What is the contribution of the social sciences to improving our understanding of social and technological innovation processes? How can they help to overcome some of the barriers to technological and social innovation and improve the management of innovation by limiting the negative side-effects of new technologies and social change? And how can social and technological innovations contribute to the better functioning of social science?
These were some of the questions tackled at the Tokyo Workshop on Social Sciences and Innovation which brought together high-level experts and policy makers from the OECD countries as well as from Asia, Africa and South America to discuss the role of the social sciences in fostering innovation.

Social science research should lead to a better understanding of current societal developments and enable policy makers to propose solutions to problems and design policies that can serve the public more effectively. Governments are increasingly aware of the need and opportunities to improve the contribution of social science knowledge to policy making and are keen to realise this potential. Can the social sciences act as an agent of societal change? How can they contribute to social practice? How can their policy relevance be increased? Can best practice in other research fields and economic sectors be a source of inspiration on new approaches to sharing knowledge? And how can the divide between the two communities - social scientists and decision makers - be narrowed? These are some of the enduring questions tackled by academics and policy makers at the Workshop on the Contribution of Social Sciences to Knowledge and Decision Making, Bruges, 26-28 June 2000.