Abstract:
The importance of innovative activities for economic growth and development is largely recognized nowadays. In the last years, in pace with the growing trend of the internationalization of production, the national innovative systems have become components of a global scientific and technological space. Connecting to this space means that countries have to do more than simple”open up” and passively wait for foreign investors. Strengthening the innovative capabilities may represent a key policy objective for every country interested not only in entering the global RD networks but also in maximizing the benefits of this connection. The scope of this article is to focus on the main instruments frequently used by governments in order to reach the above mentioned targets.