About the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation
Who we are and what we do
The OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has built a programme of work based on decades of experience in this policy field, and now plays a leading and central role in global policy development. We do this by:
- Generating incisive economic analysis from “the bottom-up” by looking at firm-level dynamics, productivity, sectoral patterns of structural change and emerging policy issues induced by technological developments. This combination of micro-, meso- and macro-approaches provides us with a forward-looking perspective that keeps the OECD at the forefront of the policy agenda.
- Establishing an evidence base that charts the edges of the frontier. From the start, STI has worked to push the boundaries for STI statistics. In 1963, it was R&D; in 2013, global value chains; today it is artificial intelligence (AI). Our economic insights are built on robust data and statistical methodologies. We are part of OECD’s de-centralised statistical system and benefit from an integrated feedback loop of methodological development, data collection, empirical policy analysis and policy advice.
- Setting international standards in areas such as privacy, digital security risk management, AI, neurotechnology, consumer protection, and scientific collaboration. STI standards are developed with senior OECD policy makers to provide guidance and recommendations to complex policy challenges facing the global community, and benefit from wide stakeholder consultation.
Because of our investments – in knowledge and in people – the STI directorate is well placed to help our members and key partners better navigate the complex challenge of maximising the contribution of science, technology, industry and innovation policies to create more productive, resilient and sustainable economies.
Our committees
The Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation manages six OECD committees:
The Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) is responsible for developing evidence-based policies that create the policy and regulatory environments needed to expand the Internet and information and communications technologies as drivers of innovation, productivity, growth, sustainable development and social well-being. Some key areas of recent work in CDEP and its working parties include AI; terrorist and violent extremist content online; Internet access and connectivity; digital security, privacy and data governance; and measurement of the digital economy. In December 2022 CDEP held a Ministerial meeting in Spain, where Ministers agreed to a Declaration on a Trusted, Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future, a Declaration on Government Access to Personal Data held by Private Sector Entities, and new OECD legal instruments on digital security. Ministers also announced the launch of a new OECD Global Forum on Technology, which held its inaugural session in June 2023 as a venue for regular in-depth dialogue to get ahead of long-term opportunities and risks presented by technology.
The Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP) and its working party promote consumer trust by developing cross-border policies and mechanisms for a more efficient, transparent and fair global marketplace. Key areas of recent work include the OECD Global Recalls Portal, and analysis on protecting online consumers and online advertising. The CCP has recently strongly supported a proposal to hold a first ever OECD Consumer Ministerial in late 2024.
The Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) is rooted in empirical analysis and a “bottom-up” approach that looks below aggregates to examine how specific firm and sector characteristics affect economic outcomes. Key areas of CIIE work include productivity growth and business dynamics; micro-data analysis; industrial policy and green innovation; human capital and skills; intellectual property rights; global value chains and the measurement of trade in value added; structural change; and innovative start-ups and small and medium sized firms (SMEs). The CIIE provides joint support (with the OECD Economics Department) for the Global Forum on Productivity.
The Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP) and its working parties encourage co-operation among OECD members and partner economies in the field of science, technology and innovation policy, working to support economic, social, and scientific aims, and improving sustainable development and well-being. Key areas of recent work include: science-industry co-creation; global science policies; support for business R&D, including tax incentives; mission-oriented innovation policies; technology governance; biotechnology, nanotechnology and emerging technologies. The CSTP performs national innovation reviews, and supports the OECD Space Forum as well as work on the ocean economy. CSTP will hold a Ministerial meeting in Spring 2024 under the broad theme of “S&T Policy 2025: Enabling sustainability transitions through science, technology and innovation”.
The OECD’s Steel Committee and the Council Working Party on Shipbuilding (WP6) bring together government, industry, and trade union interests from OECD and partner economies to exchange views and conduct economic and policy analysis on all aspects of the steel and shipbuilding sectors, aiming for competitive markets that are free of distortions. Steel is one of the world’s most widely used materials, and ships transport more than 90% of international trade. The OECD also facilitates a G20-mandated Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) that aims to enhance information sharing and co-operation and take effective steps to address the challenge of excess capacity.