UNESCO Says China Is Setting R&D Pace

A study of global R&D by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization concludes that although the U.S., Japan, and the European Union remain the world leaders in R&D, they are being increasingly challenged by emerging industrial nations, especially China. The report found that the percentage of R&D performed by Asian nations increased from 27% in 2002 to 32% by 2007. Much of this is because of sharp increases in private-sector R&D spending, an area where investment in the U.S., EU, and Japan has been flat, the report states. Other areas where Asia is gaining include the percentage of researchers it employs and its share of scientific publications. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova sees increased scientific cooperation arising from this shift. “Regional and international scientific cooperation is crucial to addressing the interrelated, complex, and growing global challenges with which we are confronted,” she said in the foreword of the report.