The Oslo Manual is based primarily on the experiences of the world’s most industrialized countries. The UIS and a range of partners, notably RICYT* (Red Iberoamericana de Indicadores de Ciencia y Tecnología), have produced a set of guidelines on how to implement innovation surveys in developing countries.
The guidelines cover a range of issues pertinent to developing countries, such as:
- the size and structure of markets and firms
- factors shaping the innovation landscape
- specific needs for public policy and private strategies concerning innovation
- measurement priorities
- information and communication technologies
- linkages between innovation structures and units.
The guidelines have been published as an annex in the third and most recent edition of the Oslo Manual (2005). They are primarily based on the experiences of countries that have already conducted innovation surveys, most of which are among the higher- and medium-income countries of the developing world.
The ultimate goal of the UIS is to create an international database of innovation statistics for countries at all stages of development. The first step entails the construction of an inventory of innovation surveys that have been carried out in developing countries. In addition, the Institute is preparing to launch a global data collection in 2013, which will be conducted on a biennial basis. To this end, the UIS is working close with a group of experts while strengthening relations with regional and international organizations.
*RICYT undertook the first effort to develop guidelines for innovation surveys outside of the OECD and the European Union. This resulted in the Bogotá Manual, which is used in most innovation surveys conducted in Latin American countries.