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Evaluation of science, technology and innovation capabilities in the Mediterranean countries

Final Report Summary - ESTIME (Evaluation of science, technology and innovation capabilities in the Mediterranean countries)

The ultimate aim of the ESTIME project was to describe the scientific and technological capabilities in a set of eight research partner countries of the Mediterranean: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestinian territories. The investigation concerned several scientific activities including also social and human sciences. The project specifically proposed:
- a description of the research institutions, the higher-education institutions and science and technology policies;
- a statistical overview based on a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production;
- an analysis of the use of science and scientific results (relations of research centres with enterprises, development of innovation projects, Research and development (R&D) activities in enterprises, non-governmental organisation activities that work with public sector researchers);
- an analysis of the role of social sciences which require specific treatment due to methodological problems. World bibliographic databases cover poorly the production in these countries, specifically the non-occidental social sciences

The project managed to produce:
- a complete statistical and institutional analysis of all countries involved in the project;
- a complete bibliometric analysis at institutional level and macro level on seven countries;
- a comparison of macro with micro bibliometric data;
- a review of science and technology policies on six countries;
- an analysis of the dynamics of research activities based on interviews and curriculum vitae of researchers; this was an uncompleted task;
- a secondary analysis of innovation surveys in at least two countries, Tunisia and Morocco;
- a review of innovation policies in all countries: relations of research centres with enterprises, development of innovation projects, activities of R&D in enterprises, NGO activities that work with public sector researchers.