Research and development in telecommunications. National systems under pressure

Research and development activities (R&D) are becoming more and more important for the development of the telecommunications industry. To a large extent they determine the competitive position of firms and nations. Both the equipment and carriers depend on their technological competence. In the past, national R&D systems developed separately, and differed widely from one country to another. With the liberalization of the telecommunications markets and increasing international competition the different national R&D systems have come under pressure and have begun to change. This article describes the structure of national R&D systems at the end of the 1980s and analyses development trends. It summarizes the principal findings of an extensive study into the development of the national R&D systems of the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Italy, Sweden, South Korea, the Netherlands, Spain and the Federal Republic of Germany. With the liberalization of the telecommunications markets and increasing international competition the different national R&D systems have come under pressure and begun to change. This article describes the structure of national systems at the end of the 1980s and analyses development trends. It summarizes the principal findings of an extensive study into the development of the systems of the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Italy, Sweden, South Korea, the Netherlands, Spain and the Federal Republic of Germany.