The investment in knowledge: science and development

Abstract

Nearing the turn of the 20^th century, knowledge has become a determinant factor of development. Science and technology emerge as the main vectors, enabling the creation of knowledge and so, today, their capabilities function as keys to development. However, the disparities in this field, between EC countries, are much more pronounced than those measured in standard economic terms. In this article, an attempt is made to analyse globally the relationships between the potential of human resources and financial resources, that condition the development of R&D activities in Portugal. It starts with the evolution in the last 25 years, of the most widely-used indicators of the OECD and compares the situation with the other EC, EFTA and OECD countries.