Assessing the scientific and technological output of EU Framework Programmes: evidence from the FP6 projects in the ICT field

• Published in: Scientometrics Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 239 - 257
• Main Authors: Breschi, Stefano, Malerba, Franco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2011; Springer
• Subjects: Bibliometrics. Scientometrics; Bibliometrics. Scientometrics. Evaluation; Computer Science; European Union; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information science. Documentation; Information Storage and Retrieval; Library and information science. General aspects; Library Science; Productivity; Science and technology; Sciences and techniques of general use; Scientific and technological performance; Framework Programme; Research consortia; Database; Patents; Evaluation; Scientific Production; Scientific research
• ISSN: 0138-9130; 1588-2861
• DOI: 10.1007/s11192-011-0378-x

This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the scientific and technological productivity of FP6 projects by exploiting a new database on articles and patents resulting from EU funded projects. Starting from the FP6, the design of the European technology policy has undergone significant changes with the introduction of new funding instruments aimed at achieving a “critical mass” of resources. Our empirical results provide support to the concerns, expressed by several observers, regarding the fact that the new funding instruments may have resulted in artificially “too large” research consortia. The available empirical evidence shows that scientific productivity increases with the number of participants following a U-inverted shape, thereby indicating the existence of decreasing marginal returns to an increase in the size of research consortia. A second key result of the paper is related to the existence of significant differences of performance among funding instruments. In particular, after accounting for the larger amount of resources allocated to them, Integrated Projects perform less well in terms of scientific output than both STRePs and Networks of Excellence and they do not exhibit a superior performance than STRePs in terms of patent applications.