The 2025 edition of the OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook was prepared under the aegis of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP), with input from its working parties. The 2025 edition is a collective effort co-ordinated by the Science and Technology Policy Division of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation. Michael Keenan served as overall co-ordinator and Sylvain Fraccola as publication and communication co-ordinator. Blandine Serve co-ordinated statistical inputs. The publication was produced under the guidance of Alessandra Colecchia, Head of the Science and Technology Policy Division.
Chapter 1, “Mobilising science, technology and innovation policies for transformative change”, was prepared by Michael Keenan, Jessica Ambler, Mario Cervantes and Blandine Serve, with contributions by Philippe Larrue and Charles McIvor (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). The chapter benefited from review and comments by Simon Bennett (International Energy Agency).
Chapter 2, “Reconfiguring scientific co-operation in a changing geopolitical environment”, was prepared by Michael Keenan, Yoran Beldengrun, Carthage Smith and Blandine Serve, with contributions by Alan Paic and Hyunkyeong Yun (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). The chapter benefited from review and comments by Joachim Pohl (OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs). The authors are grateful to the presenters at two CSTP workshops related to the chapter’s topic, and in particular to Andrew James (University of Manchester), who provided written inputs and comments on the chapter.
Chapter 3, “Expanding the benefits of STI investments”, was prepared by Caroline Paunov, Sandra Planes-Satorra and Luke Mackle (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). It builds on work carried out by the Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy. The chapter benefited from review and comments from Andrew Paterson (OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities).
Chapter 4, “How science systems need to adapt to support transformative change”, was prepared by Carthage Smith, Andrea-Rosalinde Hofer, Frederic Sgard, Masatoshi Shimosuka and Gemma Volpicelli (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). It builds on work carried out by the OECD Global Science Forum.
Chapter 5, “Technology convergence: Trends, prospects and policies”, was prepared by David Winickoff, Claire Jolly, Alistair Nolan, Douglas Robinson and Marit Undseth (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation), with contributions by Daniel Nadal. The chapter draws on recent work by the Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies and the OECD Space Forum.
Chapter 6, “An ecosystems approach to industrial policy”, was prepared by Damiano Morando, under the supervision and guidance of Antoine Dechezleprêtre and Guy Lalanne (Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). The authors are grateful to Hélène Dernis for her support in preparing some of the key figures included in the chapter, to Charles McIvor for valuable discussions, and to the authors of the ecosystem papers on which this chapter draws: Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Hélène Dernis, Luis Diaz, Milenko Fadic, Guy Lalanne, Francesco Losma, Sara Romaniega Sancho and Lea Samek.
Chapter 7, “Tools for agility: Actionable strategic intelligence and policy experimentation”, was prepared by Caroline Paunov, Douglas Robinson, Sandra Planes-Satorra and Isabella López Trejos (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation). It builds on work carried out on strategic intelligence by the Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies and on policy experimentation by the Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy.
All chapters were reviewed by Alessandra Colecchia, Jens Lundsgaard and Jerry Sheehan (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation).
The Outlook also benefited from comments by CSTP delegates and from discussions at the 125th and 126th Sessions of the CSTP in November 2024 and April 2025, respectively.
Thanks are also due to Silvia Appelt, Leonidas Aristodemou, Brigitte van Beuzekom, Hélène Dernis, Fernando Galindo-Rueda, Petra Kelly, Guillaume Kpodar, Kuniko Matsumoto, Laurent Moussiegt and Fabien Verger (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation) for their helpful advice and statistical inputs.
The authors are grateful to Emily Acas and Kyriakos Vogiatzis (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation) for their secretarial assistance and to Sebastian Ordelheide (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation) for communications support. Special thanks are extended to Jennifer Allain for editorial contributions and bibliographic research.