The Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy has participated in a study of the public debate on research policy in the five Nordic countries, the report is now published by NIFU. Public debate on research policy issues has been a neglected domain in studies of research and research policy so this study may lay claim to some novelty. It may be seen as an exploration of the development of the “knowledge society” and “knowledge economy”.

Within EU rankings the Nordic member countries in general, and Finland and Sweden in particular, are seen to pave the way which the EU as a whole should follow and, specifically, to provide evidence that the target to increase R&D investment to 3 percent of GDP is possible and viable. There is, as such, a “look to the Nordic countries” element in much global and European debate on policies for the “knowledge economy” in general and for R&D in particular. Consequently a study of the public debate on research policy issues in the Nordic countries is an exploration of how and to what extent the allegedly increasing importance of research is reflected in public awareness and in characteristics of public debate on research policy issues.

More about the project, methods, theories and results can be found here.

The project has been financed by NordForsk.

See the full report:

Public Debate on Research Policy in the Nordic Countries. A Comparative Analysis of Actors and Issues (1998 – 2007)
Egil Kallerud, Thorvald Finnbjørnsson, Lars Geschwind, Marja Häyrinen-Alestalo, Inge Ramberg, Karen Siune & Terhi Tuominen: NIFU Report 11/2011.

Danish report:

Who is setting the agenda for Danish Research Policy? Public debate about research policy in selected Danish newspapers from 1998 – 2007
Karen Siune: The Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy, Aarhus University, 2011.