Overview of National Systems of Innovation in the Arab Countries

Abstract

This chapter uses the relevant secondary data and the definition of NSI discussed in chapter 3 to provide an overview of the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of NSI in the Arab countries. Before we examine the characteristics and causes of poor RSI in the Arab region from a regional perspective in chapter 5, it will be useful in this chapter to examine the causes of poor NSI in the Arab countries from a national perspective. This chapter investigates the hypothesis that NSI in the Arab countries are characterized by serious weaknesses and are falling behind the World countries (in terms of subsystems of education, higher education, S&T [R&D and human resources in S&T] and ICT). This chapter aims to assess and elaborate poor NSI and the gap between the Arab and World countries and to examine the strength and weakness of NSI in the Arab countries that justify and highlight the importance of improving NSI in these countries. The rest of this chapter is structured as follows: first we present the introduction, then we examine the characteristics of NSI in the Arab countries; next we examine the strengths and weaknesses of NSI in the Arab countries; and finally, we provide the conclusion.