China’s Science, Technology & Innovation Performance: New Research Report

China’s star is rising, particularly in science, technology and innovation (STI). Just a few years ago, the People’s Republic was mainly a manufacturing hub; now it is a global leader in research and development. A new report, commissioned by the European Union and co-authored by Dr. René Wintjes, studies the latest performance of China in this fast-moving field.

This substantial new report tracks the evolution of China’s STI performance. It considers the economic impact not only on Chinese competitiveness but also on global markets, while noting the differences between various science and technology fields, economic sectors, and types of actors involved. The analysis provides a range of results, focusing among others on human capital, R&D expenditure, patent output, and policymaking. 

We learn, for example, that in 2011 the number of new graduates in science and engineering was 875,000 in the EU — far below the 1.4 million in China. Also how, in 2012, business R&D expenditure as a share of GDP was 1.4% in China — just above the EU share of 1.3%.

We also discover that, over the last two decades, the global share of EU and US patenting has fallen from around 43% in 1990 to around 25% in 2011. By contrast, China’s share in global patenting has soared since 2000: from nearly zero to almost 10% in 2011. To download the full report, please go to: http://www.merit.unu.edu/chinas-science-technology-and-innovation-performance/

To arrange an interview with the author, please contact the UNU-MERIT press office:
Howard Hudson / hudson@merit.unu.edu
Tel: +31(0)433884430
Sueli Brodin / brodin@merit.unu.edu
Tel: +31(0)433884477