The Research and Development System in Austria – Input and Output Indicators

This paper analyzes the efficiency of research and development activities in Austria in comparison with other countries. Public and private R&D spending, which has been increasing steadily for years, is evaluated against a set of performance indicators, such as the number of scientific publications and patents. The efficiency of Austria's R&D system is currently rated “average.” This may change in the future, given that productivity growth in the Austrian economy is declining despite the continually rising research and development ratio. In his conclusions, the author presents suggestions for increasing the efficiency of the system, particularly in the areas of university education and research, in the light of the strong interaction with the corporate sector.