UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT

UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT
Figure 1.1: GERD financed by government as a share of GDP, 2005–2013 (%)
1.0
Korea, Rep. 0.95
0.9
Germany 0.85
0.8
0.7
0.79
0.79
0.77
0.69
Australia 0.78
France 0.78
Singapore
0.77
USA 0.76
Russian Fed.
0.76
0.66
0.6
0.63
0.60
Japan 0.60
0.5
0.55
0.53
0.53
Italy 0.54
Canada 0.57
UK 0.44
China 0.44
Argentina 0.44
0.4
Poland 0.41
0.3
0.35
0.33
0.33
South Africa
0.33
Mexico 0.38
0.25
0.23
Turkey 0.25
0.2
0.20
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Source: OECD’s Main Science and Technology Indicators, September 2015
The global crisis also provoked a reversal in brain drain in
some parts of Africa, as visions of Europe and North America
struggling with low growth rates and high unemployment
discouraged emigration and encouraged some to return
home. Returnees are today playing a key role in STI policy
formulation, economic development and innovation. Even
those who remain abroad are contributing: remittances are
now overtaking FDI inflows to Africa (Chapter 19).
The heightened interest in STI is clearly visible in the Vision
2020 or 2030 planning documents adopted by African
countries in recent years. In Kenya, for instance, the Science,
Technology and Innovation Act passed in 2013 contributes
to the realization of Kenya Vision 2030, which foresees the
country’s transformation into an upper middle-income
economy with a skilled labour force by 2030. The act
may be a ‘game-changer’ for Kenya, which has not only
created a National Research Fund but also, critically, made
provisions for the fund to receive 2% of Kenya’s GDP each
financial year. This substantial commitment of funds should
help Kenya raise its GERD/GDP ratio well above 0.79%
(2010).
The BRICS countries present a contrasting picture. In
China, public and business funding of R&D have risen
in tandem. In India, business R&D has progressed faster
than government commitment to R&D. In Brazil, public
commitment to R&D has remained more or less stable since
2008, whereas the business enterprise sector has slightly
augmented its own effort. Since all firms surveyed in 2013
reported a drop in innovation activity since 2008, this trend
will most likely affect spending if the Brazilian economic
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