Unfolding the innovation system for the development of countries: coevolution of Science, Technology and Production

Abstract

We show that the space in which scientific, technological and economic activities interplay with each other can be mathematically shaped using techniques from statistical physics of networks. We build a holistic view of the innovation system as the tri-layered network of interactions among these many activities (scientific publication, patenting, and industrial production in different sectors), also taking into account the possible time delays. Within this construction we can identify which capabilities and prerequisites are needed to be competitive in a given activity, and even measure how much time is needed to transform, for instance, the technological know-how into economic wealth and scientific innovation, being able to make predictions with a very long time horizon. We find empirical evidence that, at the aggregate scale, technology is the best predictor for industrial and scientific production over the upcoming decades.