National systems of innovation: comparison of France and USA

Résumé du document

We are going to see through this essay several point of comparison in national system of innovation between France and USA. We will focus on several points in order to explain the differences between both countries. We will talk about the role of the system of education, then the government interventions and key institutions helping to promote innovation, and finally the role of financial institutions in stimulating innovation. In this comparison we have to take care about stereotypes, the situation in both countries has evolved in the last decades linked to the economy and politic change.
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Extraits

[...] This aspect is not particular of French system, Sharp 1991 reminded that the venture capital market is much weaker in Europe than in the US, and weaker in France than in Britain. Nevertheless France is developing it and comparative data provided by Muldur 1991 for venture capital in the EC which shows that by 1989, French venture capital firms provided about 20% of venture capital available in Europe and 28% in 89. This increase shows us the development of the method even if it is not use as a trigger like in the USA. [...]

[...] technological leadership: Where did it come from and where did it Research Policy 19 (1990) 117-132 Rapport Kopp-Prud'homme - Dépénaliser l'innovation, www.france- biotech.org/LOAD.asp?ID_DOC=189 - Rapport du ministère de l'industrie www.industrie.gouv.fr/observat/ bilans/pdf/fiche32_2002.pdf M. Sharp. European countries in science-based competition: The case of biotechnology. In: D. Hague the Management of Science. Macmillan, London V.Walsh, J.Niosi, P.Mustar, Small-firm formation in biotechnology: a comparison of France, Britain and Canada, Technovation, 15(5) (1995) 303-327 V.Walsh, M.Le Roux, Contingency in innovation and the role of national systems: taxol and taxot`ere in the USA and France, Research Policy 33 (2004) 1307–1327 J. Wilson. The New Venturers: Inside the High Stakes World of Venture Capital. Addison Wesley,Wokingham, 1986. [...]

[...] P.Patel & K.Pavitt defined it as national institutions their incentive structures and their competencies, that determine the rate and direction of technological learning in a country”. The sense and the capacity of innovation could be the same in every country for each population. But the sense and capacity of innovation would be not treated as well in each country. The national system is here to help the development of innovation in order to increase the competitiveness of the national economy. France and USA developed different systems based on the history and the tradition of their country. [...]

[...] But we can also wonder if the comparison between France and USA has still a sense. The time is at the creation and development of a strong European Union. It is quite obvious that the France has not the size and the “weapons” to compete against USA. But at a European level the competition is true between USA and UE. Of course there is not yet any European structure or system able to compete with the USA but it could be true in a close future and it is already true with the partnership of several countries e.g. [...]

[...] D.Mowery, The US National System : Origins and Prospects for change, Research policy U. Muldur. Le Financement de la R-D au croisement des logiques industrielle, financiére et politique. EC Monitor FAST Programme Prospective Dossier No Globalisation of Economy and Technology. Vol FOP 277 P. Mustar. La cr6ation d'entreprise par les chercheurs. Th6se pour le doctorat de Socio-Economie de l'Ecole des Mines de Paris R. Nelson, G.Wright, The rise and fall of American Leadership: The Postwar Era in Historical Perspective, Journal of economic Literature pp.1931- R. [...]