OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2021
Times of Crisis and Opportunity
In immediate responses to the COVID-19 crisis, science and innovation are playing essential roles in providing a better scientific understanding of the virus, as well as in the development of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics. Both the public and private sectors have poured billions of dollars into these efforts, accompanied by unprecedented levels of global cooperation. However, the economic crisis that is currently unfolding is expected to severely curtail research and innovation expenditures in firms, while debt-laden governments will face multiple, competing demands for financial support. These developments threaten to cause long-term damage to innovation systems at a time when science and innovation are most needed to deal with the climate emergency, meet the Sustainable Development Goals, and accelerate the digital transformation. Governments will need to take measures to protect their innovation systems as part of their stimulus and recovery packages, but should also use these as opportunities for reforms. In particular, science, technology and innovation (STI) policy should shift towards supporting a more ambitious agenda of system transformation that promotes a managed transition to more sustainable, equitable and resilient futures.
Governance of science, technology and innovation for crisis and recovery
In contrast to the 2008-09 global financial crisis, science, technology and innovation is central to providing solutions to the COVID-19 crisis, and is clearly seen to be doing so. These solutions are shaped by the ways in which governments organise themselves, the sorts of relationships they have with other groups, including businesses and civil society organisations, and the resources they have at their disposal, including expertise and other capabilities. The chapter focuses on how various governance arrangements deployed by countries influence both their response to the current crisis and their scope for dealing with the challenges of the recovery phase. It covers governments’ use of scientific advice to underpin COVID-19 policy, its use of digital tools to improve policy design and tackle the misinformation “infodemic”, and its approaches to cross-government coordination. The chapter also covers governments’ experiments with mission-oriented innovation policies and responsible innovation practices.
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