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

• Published in: Research policy 2021-06, Vol.50 (5), p.104226-104226, Article 104226
• Main Author: Gold, E. Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Innovation; Intellectual property; Networks; Open science; Public-private partnerships; Research incentives; Research productivity
• ISSN: 0048-7333; 1873-7625
• DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2021.104226

•Innovations systems have become increasingly inefficient over the last century.•Complexity, poor incentives and balkanization of knowledge are partly responsible.•Open science partnerships (OSPs) are one mechanism to reverse declining efficiency.•OSPs are public-private partnerships that openly share publications, data and materials.•OSPs avoid restrictive forms of intellectual property to facilitate use and sharing. 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.