industry & reform
UNESCO Science Report
More investment needed for smarter research and development .
By Anand Kulkarni
The recently released global Science Report by UNESCO is a timely and stark reminder of the role of innovation in the COVID-19 world . This 736-page tome is a both a retrospective and agenda-setting document , conducted every five years , highlighting the importance of collaboration , coordination , open access and open science in the fight against the pandemic as a means of fostering complementary capabilities , joint discovery of knowledge and rapid deployment of solutions .
The report highlights the importance of evidentiary mechanisms and brokerage institutions , the latter especially to connect scientists with policy makers and the community to inform and ensure that policies , strategies and outcomes are backed by science , that expectations can be managed and that the community has a say .
Growth in global research spending was 19.2 % between 2014 and 2018 compared to GDP growth of 14.8 %, translating to a rise in research intensity ( Gross Expenditure on Research and Development / GDP ) from 1.73 % to 1.79 %, while growth in the number of researchers was 13.7 % compared to growth in global population of 4.6 %.
However , these buoyant trends are masking a number of factors : that growth in expenditure per researcher has been a modest 1.6 %, meaning constrained budgets ; most countries still spend less than 1 % of GDP on research ; and China itself accounted for 44 % of the growth in global research spending and 21.8 % of global research expenditure , followed by growth in the US ( 19.4 %) and the EU ( 11.0 %). In 2018 , research expenditure was concentrated in East and Southeast , the EU and North America , although some growth in research spending did occur in all but two regions , Central Asia and Latin America .
Thus , in our view the divide between the “ haves and have not ’ s ” is widening . Also at play is the emergence of intra- regional collaboration , and whether this is a sign of greater regional based innovation systems or shifts to more insularity remains to be seen .
Gender equity continues to be a concern globally . Women account for 33 % of researchers around the world in 2018 , and only comprise one quarter of tertiary graduates in engineering and 40 % in computer sciences . Only just over 20 % of women work in the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence . Parity has been reached , and in some cases women exceed men in life science researchers . COVID-19 has exacerbated inequity in a range of areas .
Among cross-cutting technologies ( Artificial Intelligence , robotics , energy , materials , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , and photonics , biotechnology , strategic / defence / security , bioinformatics , internet of things and blockchain technology ), AI and robotics dominate publications across countries at all levels , including especially by China . The race for leadership of AI and robotics as drivers of competitive advantage , to offset workforce ageing and to enable applications in a wide variety of indicators , is well and truly on . On the other hand there is considerable anxiety about the impact of AI and robotics on jobs .
For Australia , the picture is interesting . Australia has less than 1 % of global GERD and just 1 % of global GDP but is punching above its weight in terms of having 3.32 % of global publications . In various crosscutting technologies , nanotechnology ( share 3.78 %), energy ( share 2.63 %) and AI and robotics ( share 2.03 %) are noted .
However , it should be said that Australia has lost global share in papers in AI and robotics , biotechnology , materials and optoelectronics .
There was 21.61 % growth in total papers produced in Australia between 2015 and 2019 : slightly above world growth ( 20.68 %) and well above high income country growth ( 9.61 %) but also below a number of countries . Of concern is that Australia ’ s research intensity , ie Gross Expenditure on Research and Development / GDP , is at 1.87 %, below the OECD average of 2.43 %. Australia ’ s economy still depends on natural resources , commodities and global supply chains , making it vulnerable to economic and pandemic shocks , while Australian business executives are the least confident in the world about their readiness for the challenges of industry 4.0 ( AI and robotics , big data , internet of things , blockchain technologies which are converging with nanotechnology , biotechnology and cognitive sciences ).
The UNESCO report points to systemic weaknesses in Australia ’ s innovation system in terms of low rates of collaboration and mobility between business and research bodies , and that business appears to be engaged in no more innovation than necessary to remain viable . Business funded 4 % of academic research , slightly below the OECD average , and innovation active firms have limited collaboration with researchers , the lowest in the OECD . Australia performs creditably , at 35th place , out of 165 countries on the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG ) Index for 2020 , with good performances in SDG 3 , Good Health and Well-Being , SDG 9 Industry , Innovation and Infrastructure ( including internet access , graduates , strengths of Tertiary Education ) and SDG 16 , Peace , Justice and Strong Institutions .
The UNESCO report finds however , that sustainability research is not yet mainstream in academic publishing globally , most particularly in the developed world . This will need attention , in our view , in the context of ambitious goals for UN SDG ’ s by 2030 , and the impact and implications of sustainability across a wide variety of economic , health ( including the pandemic ), and environmental domains . ■
Dr Anand Kulkarni is a higher education professional at Victoria University . The views expressed here are the author ’ s entirely .
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