759 



31. 7.50 

 OECD 



•tion in Scu 



Eugene B. Skolnikoff 

 The Case for Coonor-^tion 



Cooperation in scii^nce and technology among the 

 OECD nations is not an unusual phenoirsna. All participate in 

 cooperative procrainmes to some extent; for some the level and 

 scale of continuing coooeration is substantial.* Are there 

 new conditions, new opportunities, or new needs that justify 

 a re-examination of the sub.ject by ministers in an OECD context? 



There does appear to be an excellent case for 

 such a re-examination, though it must be conducted v/ith sober 

 awareness both of the many existing mechanisms for cooperation, 

 some v;ithin OECD itself, and the costs as v/ell as benefits of 

 cooperation as seen from a multilateral framework . 



The case can be stated succinctly. 



The Western industrial countries and Japan all, 

 to varying degrees, require more rapid and effective technological 

 progress and innox'sition to meet their economic, social and 

 political needs, but, at the same time, the economic situation 

 that serves to create these needs places important budgetary 

 constraints on R&D expenditures, inevitably limiting the 

 projects that can be undertaken within each nation. The high 

 cost of many scientific and technological fields further ■ 

 constrains what each nation can undertake alone. 



* The differential participation of OECD countries is itself a 

 significant fact that nay be usefully discussed by Ministers. 

 + Submitted as a commisioned report to OECD, July 31. 1980. 



