Technometrics as a missing link in science and technology indicators

R and D indicators may be used as analytical tools but hardly respresent analytical results if standing alone. Also, combining indicator figures is rarely sufficient a proper interpretation of the findings based on expert opinion has to be provided. The advantages which result from crossing expert interviews with the formal indictors framework are briefly discussed in this paper. The technometric concept is passed in review. Some examples in the field of laser technology are provided to elucidate the levels of aggregation that are possible. A quite extensive application of the technometric method is provided for enzyme technology. In this comparison data from West Germany, Japan and the United States are compared to those from one of the Nordic countries (Denmark), and in the subfield of biosensors to France and East Germany. The paper also tries to establish a taxonomy of science, technology and innovation indicators in order to allow for easy distinctions in applicability of these in dicators. The applicability of combined S and T indicator is briefly demonstrated in the case of telecommunication R and D. The final section emphasizes the synergisms between indicators from a more general point of view.