Transcript Document

Utilising R&D knowledge at R&D policymaking in
Finland: problems and promises
INTOSAI WG Key National Indicators
Helsinki April 2011
Timo Oksanen, Principal Performance Auditor, PhD
National Audit Office of Finland
The focus of the presentation:
The basics of Finnish R&D policy as a background and
starting point of knowledge
R&D -indicators: a shot in the dark at the R&D policy
or a new path in to the light?
Development projects
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Public investments … as the key drivers of
Finnish economy and society
MASIS –report 2011, 16
1.3 National challenges, opportunities and trajectories
“Public investments in research and education have
traditionally been seen as the key drivers for success
of the Finnish economy and society, and the current
economic down turn has nothing but reiterated this
viewpoint. …"
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The starting points of the Finnish R&D –policy
(EU MASIS report 2010)
1. Continuing consensus about
science and innovations as a
strategy for national success.
2. High trust in the institutions of
science and technology.
3. Exclusive-corporatist
science and technology policy
culture.
4. “Evaluation culture and practice
in policy issues encourages us
to forget things instead to look
back evaluatively”. (Prime
Minister´s Office´s Paper -10)
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Our current knowledge beyond the R&D
indicators? (Lena Tsipouri: Evaluation
Conference 2006, London)
1. Positive correlation between R&D and GDP growth
in Europe (Fagerberg and Verspagen)
2. Positive correlation between basic research and
GDP in the USA (Lichtenberg, Grilliches)
3. Strong correlation between Synthetic Innovation
Indicator and GDP/head in the EU-25 (Trendchart)
4. 30% of world convergence explained
by innovation (UNIDO)
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But…, there are black boxes beyond the R&D
indicators
"The relationship between RTDI inputs and wellbeing outputs remain largely a black box“
" … but the original black box is getting more
transparent: science-based and radical innovations
are captured by patents, publications, citations etc;
But when it comes to more difficult issues (generation
of externalities), we still have to learn more than what
we know…
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The dark side of the indicators: you have to
look at the right way and long enough…, but
what to do 2012-2013?
1. how to use the R&D money today?
2. how to investigate? and when?
3. what´s the best way to engage intangible
assets (human and social capital) with
tangible assets (technology, €)?
4. how to assess the impacts of both of them at the
turbulent environment of R&D?
5. how to indicate that right means are used
at right time and right place to get the ends?
etc.
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A new path in to the light 1? Examples of
development projects …
S&TI POLICY
VINDI http://www.aka.fi/Tiedostot/Tiedostot/Julkaisut/06_08%20VINDI.pdf
RESEARCH FI. http://www.research.fi/
TIMANTTI
http://www.tekes.fi/fi/gateway/PTARGS_0_201_362_613_1536_43/http%3
B/tekesali1%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/fi_content/call_for_bids/20
10/tpliite6.pdf
UNIVERSITIEShttp://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2007/Yliopistojen_
yhteiskunnallinen_vuorovaikutus.html?lang=fi&extra_locale=en
GOVERNMENT http://www.findikaattori.fi/
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A new path in to the light 2 ?...
WORKSHOPS
OECD Norway, 2010: Performance-based Funding
for Public Research in Tertiary Education Institutions
http://www.oecd.org/document/3/0,3746,en_2649_34
293_44904003_1_1_1_1,00.html
Finland, Hanasaari 2011 (January, March): A Finnish
workshop as a collaborative audit approach to meet
the demands of complexity: the case of innovation
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A new path in to the light 3 ?...
Workshops for SAOs and for the development indicators?
- rather a reflective mirror than a method in sensu stricto
- rather a new horizon to assess the quality of current audit
approaches than a new member at the family of audit
approaches or method in sensu largo
- rather way of solving problems effectively (?) with R&D
actors than approving audit approaches and methods
- rather a new tactic to encounter complexities of R&D
evaluation than a new audit strategy
- rather a intresting new path to approach the economical and
social responsibility of the R&D actors than a clear step for
SAO´s to strenghten judicial and administrative accountability
of R&D actors
THANK YOU!
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