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Information technology (IT) is significantly affecting the economy, the growth and structure of output, occupations and employment and how people use their time. The OECD Information Technology Outlook 2000 describes the rapid growth in the supply and demand for information technology goods and services and their role in the expanding Internet economy and looks at emerging uses of information technology. It reflects the spread and diversity of a technology that is underpinning economic and social transformation. It makes use of the new official national sources of data which are becoming available as statistical mapping of the information economy improves.

How can innovation and technology better contribute to environmental sustainability? What factors drive firms to innovate for the environment? How can environmental and innovation policies be better designed to stimulate innovation for the environment? How can better policy coherence be achieved? A recent OECD workshop addressed these crucial questions that lead to a better understanding of the interaction between innovation and the environment and explored elements of "best practice" policies that can stimulate innovation for the environment and shift our development path towards sustainability.

Achieving sustainable development goals at a global level will strongly depend on the rapid technological development and innovation, and the widespread diffusion and application, of cleaner technologies in non-OECD as well as OECD countries. But do the developing countries have the capacity and motivation to take advantage of cleaner technology options? What are their needs? And what are the barriers which must be addressed? Arresting the impending environmental imbalances and ecological instability and moving towards sustainable development call for establishing a new multilateral framework for co-operation in environmental science and technology.

The growth potential of countries increasingly depends on the effectiveness of their innovation systems in creating, diffusing and using knowledge. A large share of market-based or informal knowledge flows occur within industrial clusters that can be seen as reduced-form innovation systems. Policies to stimulate innovation at national and local levels must both build on and contribute to the dynamics of innovative clusters. This book presents a series of papers written by policy makers and academic experts in the field, that demonstrate why and how this can be done in different national contexts.

This book analyses the role of networks in innovation and technology diffusion. It reviews policy initiatives to promote efficient networking in selected OECD countries, and draws the main implications for public policy. It provides both fresh conceptual insights and new factual information on this important mechanism of innovation-led growth.

The international mobility of highly skilled workers, in particular human resources in science and technology (HRST) such as scientists, engineers and IT experts, is currently an important policy issue in the majority of OECD countries. Accompanying the booming demand for skilled labour, especially from the information technology-related industries and professions, there is apparently a growing shortage of such workers in a number of OECD Member countries. In order to meet these shortages, an increasing number of countries are implementing measures to facilitate the recruitment of foreign skilled workers. Considering that improved knowledge and understanding of these issues are necessary for informing the policy agenda, the OECD held a seminar on "International Mobility of Highly Skilled Workers: From Statistical Analysis to the Formulation of Policies", in Paris on 11-12 June 2001. This seminar was organised by the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (DSTI) and the Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (DEELSA). The seminar targeted three main objectives, which are mirrored in the structure of the book: Provide data on the scale and characteristics of flows and stocks of skilled and highly skilled foreign workers in the OECD Member countries and certain non-member economies: South Africa, China, India, Israel, Russia and Chinese Taipei; to assess the quality of the data available and the concepts used, and to help improve their comparability. Analyse the mobility of skilled workers and HRST and their impact on the economy through case studies covering most of the major regions sending and receiving these workers. Examine appropriate migration policies aimed at facilitating the mobility of skilled workers in ways that are beneficial both to receiving and sending countries.

This publication examines the relationship between innovation policy and economic performance in six OECD countries – Austria, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.  In-depth analyses highlight countries’ strengths and weaknesses in innovation, as well as the effectiveness of their innovation policies in driving economic performance.  Taken together, the country studies constitute a rich evidence base which will be of considerable interest to innovation policy makers in all OECD countries.  They indicate that countries share a need to adapt – or even profoundly change – their innovation policies in order to deal with opportunities and threats posed by new technological and economic developments.

This report reviews efforts under way in a number of OECD countries to advance innovation in energy technology, with a particular focus on hydrogen fuel cells. It compares energy innovation systems in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, the United Kingdom and United States to identify the roles of government, industry, universities and other public research organisations in the innovation process. It also examines the policies governments are implementing to finance needed research and development and to stimulate market demand for innovative energy technologies.

From research and development to legal and marketing services, a wide range of knowledge-intensive service activities (KISAs) enables firms and public sector organisations to better innovate. This publication examines the contribution of knowledge-intensive services to the acquisition and growth of innovation capabilities in firms and public sector organisations. It focuses on KISAs in four industy sectors: software, health care, tourism and leisure, and resource-based industries such as mining technology services, aquaculture and forestry. The analysis derives from a series of surveys and case studies undertaken in nine OECD countries: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway and Spain.

This publication examines the innovation system in pharmaceutical biotechnology in eight OECD countries - Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. The report summarises the results of in-depth studies, providing a comparative analysis of participating countries' performance in science and innovation in biopharmaceuticals. It highlights specific characteristics of the national biopharmaceutical innovation systems in terms of their international openness and the specific role of demand-side factors in the innovation process. Major systemic failures affecting the functioning of the biopharmaceutical innovation systems are identified. Based on rich evidence, the report draws policy recommendations to foster innovation in biopharmaceuticals advocating an integrated policy approach.

This publication reveals a number of interesting examples of innovative programmes using ICT that can increase access to learning out-of-school youths and adults. The papers show that ICT can be one way -- but by no means the only way -- to improve pathways to learning. It can do this by tailoring learning to the needs and preferred learning styles of the disadvantaged, and it can make learning more interesting by providing immediate feedback. A third message is that just as adult learning itself has been the under-funded and under-appreciated Cinderella of the formal learning spectrum, so the application of ICT within adult learning has tended to lag behind much of the rest of the education system. The present volume provides some cautionary remarks on the recent past and opens up some significant opportunities for the future.  

Energy, transport, water and telecommunications all are essential to future development and growth. However, infrastructure investment requirements over the coming decades will be massive, running into trillions of dollars. How will the needed investments be financed, given that OECD populations are ageing fast and public finances tightening? How will such factors as urbanisation, climate change and globalisation affect the development of infrastructures in OECD countries? And how will the role of the public sector and private actors evolve over time? These are just some of the questions this OECD report addresses in this long-term assessment of the future of infrastructures in both OECD and non-OECD countries.

Innovation has been a driving force in the successful deployment of nuclear energy and remains essential today for its sustainable future. As nuclear energy is an attractive option for ensuring diversity and security of energy supply, as well as lower global climate change risks, the way to continue this innovation is a key issue for industry and interested governments. This report provides an overview of the state of the art in nuclear innovation systems, including their driving forces, main actors, institutional and legal frameworks, and infrastructure for knowledge and programme management. It also offers policy recommendations based on country reports and case studies supplied by participating member countries.

Science and Technology is a key driver of economic growth, and it may also help provide answers for managing resources and reducing pollution, addressing climate change and preserving biodiversity, as well as  reducing disease and safeguarding health and well-being, while maintaining the general quality of life. This publication provides the proceedings of an international workshop, held in South Africa, intended to address how international co-operation in science and technology can further the three inter-related aspects (economic, social and environmental) of the development process. The workshop focused on good practices in international S&T partnerships, specifically in the areas of water and energy.