Sectoral Strengths and Weaknesses of Advanced Countries in Science

In the previous Chapters the sectoral specialization of technological activities of advanced countries is investigated by means of patent-based indicators. In this Chapter, the same approach will be followed in the analysis of the sectoral strengths and weaknesses of national scientific activities; the main indicators used to describe the countries’ specialization will be publications and citations in the scientific literature. The interest of a comparison between the sectoral patterns of specialization in science and technology lies in the complex interrelations existing between the research activities of more fundamental nature taking place in institutions (universities, public and private research laboratories, etc.) devoted to the advancement of science on the one hand, and the research and development activities taking place in firms and other institutions (applied research laboratories, technical universities, etc.) focusing on technological innovation on the other.