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Standardization and Standards as Science and Innovation Indicators

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Springer Handbook of Science and Technology Indicators

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Abstract

The focus of innovation policies has shifted from knowledge creation and protection (e. g., by patents) to knowledge diffusion (e. g., via open access) in order to promote their implementation. This has led to an increasing need for innovation indicators that reflect the implementation of knowledge within innovative products and services. Standardization as a kind of open innovation process, and standards as its output, represents a new type of innovation indicator. In this chapter, we begin with a discussion of existing opportunities for using standards and standardization as innovation indicators , including three specific examples of input, throughput, and output indicators. Next we identify challenges that must be addressed to close the data gaps—which are still very significant when compared with patent data. In addition, the broader concept of quality infrastructure is introduced in order to point out the complexity of standards implementation, and its close link to innovation as well. The chapter concludes with examples of how decision makers in industry and policy could make use of a comprehensive database of standardization and standards to evaluate innovation policy initiatives.

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Acknowledgements

A previous shorter version of this paper was presented at the OECD Blue Sky Forum on Science and Innovation Indicators in Ghent in September 2016. The author thanks two anonymous reviewers for their comments, which helped me to improve the chapter significantly. Funding has been received from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 778420—EURITO.

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  1. Institute of Technology and Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Knut Blind

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  1. Knut Blind
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ECOOM and Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Wolfgang Glänzel

  2. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Henk F. Moed

  3. Competence Center Policy – Industry – Innovation, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Ulrich Schmoch

  4. Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK

    Mike Thelwall

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Blind, K. (2019). Standardization and Standards as Science and Innovation Indicators. In: Glänzel, W., Moed, H.F., Schmoch, U., Thelwall, M. (eds) Springer Handbook of Science and Technology Indicators. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02511-3_44

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