Driving from the fringe into spotlight. The underrated role of standards and standardization in RTDI policy and evaluation

Abstract

Standards are rarely mentioned in national RTDI strategies. Most notably, there is no mention of standards and standardization in the chapter on the policy mix to support business R&D and innovation. The OECD report hereby reflects that many countries, including Austria, do rarely have dedicated support mechanisms and programs in place to foster (quality) use and development of the standards and standardization system. In this paper, we try to tackle this issue and discuss a) the evidence as relates to the role of standards and standardization for research and innovation policy, and b) briefly outline possible reasons why the topic of standards and standardization may not receive the necessary attention. Furthermore, the paper presents an outline to policy developments and support mechanisms c) in place at the European level, d) at national level in Germany (which could be seen as being internationally, in Europe, in the lead in this field) and e) in Austria, all of which aim to improve the usage and development of standards. Eventually, the paper concludes by summarizing possible areas of action for policy makers and implementers as well as implications for evaluators of RTDI programs, institutions and policies. The paper is based on literature and document review complemented by three interviews conducted with an innovation agency and standards-developing organization (SDO).