The fall of the innovation empire and its possible rise through open science

Abstract

There is growing concern that the innovation system's ability to create wealth and attain social benefit is declining in effectiveness. This article explores the reasons for this decline and suggests a structure, the open science partnership, as one mechanism through which to slow down or reverse this decline. The article examines the empirical literature of the last century to document the decline. This literature suggests that the cost of research and innovation is increasing exponentially, that researcher productivity is declining, and, third, that these two phenomena have led to an overall flat or declining level of innovation productivity. The article then turns to three explanations for the decline - the growing complexity of science, a mismatch of incentives, and a balkanization of knowledge. Finally, the article explores the role that open science partnerships - public-private partnerships based on open access publications, open data and materials, and the avoidance of restrictive forms of intellectual property - can play in increasing the efficiency of the innovation system.

Keywords: Innovation; Intellectual property; Networks; Open science; Patents; Public-private partnerships; Research incentives; Research productivity.

Fig. 1

Medical research expenditures 1960–2006 in Billions of 2017 US Dollars. From Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010 (129th Edition), Table 127, National Health Expenditures–Summary, and Projections.