Pavitt K
Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Nov 12;93(23):12693-700. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.23.12693.
Improvements over the past 30 years in statistical data, analysis, and related theory have strengthened the basis for science and technology policy by confirming the importance of technical change in national economic performance. But two important features of scientific and technological activities in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries are still not addressed adequately in mainstream economics: (i) the justification of public funding for basic research and (ii) persistent international differences in investment in research and development and related activities. In addition, one major gap is now emerging in our systems of empirical measurement-the development of software technology, especially in the service sector. There are therefore dangers of diminishing returns to the usefulness of economic research, which continues to rely completely on established theory and established statistical sources. Alternative propositions that deserve serious consideration are: (i) the economic usefulness of basic research is in the provision of (mainly tacit) skills rather than codified and applicable information; (ii) in developing and exploiting technological opportunities, institutional competencies are just as important as the incentive structures that they face; and (iii) software technology developed in traditional service sectors may now be a more important locus of technical change than software technology developed in "high-tech" manufacturing.
过去30年里，统计数据、分析及相关理论方面的进步，通过证实技术变革在国家经济表现中的重要性，强化了科技政策的基础。但经济合作与发展组织国家科技活动的两个重要特征，在主流经济学中仍未得到充分探讨：（i）基础研究公共资金的合理性；（ii）研发及相关活动投资方面持续存在的国际差异。此外，在我们的实证测量体系中，一个主要差距正在显现——软件技术的发展，尤其是在服务业。因此，经济研究的有用性存在收益递减的风险，因为它仍然完全依赖既定理论和既定统计来源。值得认真考虑的替代观点有：（i）基础研究的经济有用性在于提供（主要是隐性的）技能，而非编纂好的、可应用的信息；（ii）在开发和利用技术机会方面，机构能力与它们所面临的激励结构同样重要；（iii）传统服务业中开发的软件技术，现在可能比“高科技”制造业中开发的软件技术更是技术变革的一个更重要场所。
