A handful of multinationals control close to 70 per cent of global private sector research and development, while government R&D budgets have fallen to levels not seen since the turn of the century. The findings in the OECD’s latest science, technology and industry scoreboard will raise concerns over the concentration of research and the prospects for disruptive technologies. A growing body of evidence shows that government support for R&D has been central to the digital innovations now transforming the way people live, learn and work.
