761 



But, as is noted in moi'e detail later, experience now shows that 

 cooperation need not detract from a nation's competitive interests 

 if the projects are carefully formulated with prior agreements 

 on sharing of the results. It is a nation's ability to exploit 

 technology in the market place that is the largest determinant 

 of its competitive position- 

 To argue that conditions, needs and opportunities 

 have changed sufficiently to make expanded international co- 

 operation in science and technology an important option for 

 OECD countries, does not, of course, of itself justify more 

 cooperation or particular forms of cooperation. The potential 

 costs are real and must be carefully assessed. These "costs" 

 include the inherent difficulties of meshing disparate 

 bureaucracies; the delays often encountered in achieving common 

 decisions among differing political and legal systems; the 

 complications of varying decision processes, priorities and 

 competence of countries; the costs of added international 

 bureaucracy if that is required; the added overall cost 

 (though not the cost to each participant) sometimes resulting 

 from international efforts; the danger of inertia that makes 

 projects hard to start, but even harder to stop once started; 

 the possibilities of continuing drains on national R&d) budgets 

 because of international commitments; and the occasional 

 tendency to undertake internationally only those lower priority 

 projects that are not of substantial importance withir a country. 



