Smarter research spending would boost French innovation, says OECD

Encouraging private-sector innovation, making public research institutions more accountable and channelling more funds into the most promising R&D projects would help restore France’s former prowess in science and technology, a new OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) report says.

The OECD’s Review of Innovation Policy: France recommends completing partly implemented structural changes to enable more excellence-based financing, better evaluation of public research and closer coordination between industry and the public sector. Universities should be given a greater role alongside the country’s powerful public research organizations.

Taxation holding back private sector R&D spending