China tops Europe in research and development intensity

Denis Simon, professor and vice provost of the Office of International Strategic Initiatives at ASU, was quoted in a recent article regarding China’s research and development spending.

The article, “China tops Europe in R&D intensity,” comes from the journal Nature, and reports that “In 2012, China invested 1.98 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) into R&D – just edging out the 28 member states of the European Union (EU), which together managed 1.96 percent.”

Those figures show that since 1998, China has tripled its research intensity, while Europe’s has barely increased at all. They also reflect a large portion of the spending in the business sector, due to China’s push in the manufacturing and information- and communication-technology industries.

The article cautions that despite China’s ambition and the amount of money being put into research, money alone does not engender innovation.

“Chinese leaders would like something equivalent to a Nobel prize, or a world-class product similar to an iPhone,” says Simon, also an expert on Chinese science and innovation. “But there is a lot of risk aversion within the Chinese R&D system that doesn’t allow for entrepreneurial behavior.”

In order for that to change, Simon asserts that China’s scientists will need more independence and freedom. It appears they may get just that, as it is expected that at the forthcoming review of China’s 2006 long-term science plan, researchers will be allowed to use more of their funding to boost the salaries of their research staff.