The dual impact of ‘excellent’ research on science and innovation: the case of Europe

This article draws on innovation studies and bibliometrics to argue that excellent research has a dual impact on both science and innovation. Academic excellence thus constitutes a major objective to ensure economic impact of research through innovation and the development of new high growth sectors. The article confronts the results of empirical studies with both public policies and the production of high impact research in Europe. In the early 2000s, while policies aimed at fighting the ‘R&D deficit’ vis-à-vis the USA and the ‘European paradox’, the EU actually suffered from deficits in both excellent research and innovation in new sectors. Policies in Europe have progressively changed in response to the internationalization of R&D, the emergence of new scientific powers and the combined influence of rankings and of empirical studies. The scientific production of EU28 also improved both quantitatively and qualitatively. The notion of a ‘European paradox’ has however remained part of the narrative on innovation and has kept influencing some policies, resulting in an overemphasis on R&D intensity and insufficient recognition of the role of excellence in science. The paper underscores the diversity of performance between European countries and draws policy conclusions.