USA to Soon Trail Developing Countries in R&D, Asia on the Rise: UNESCO Report

The United States has decreased its research and development (R&D) prowess and is increasingly threatened by the scientific capabilities and innovations of developing countries like India and China, indicates a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report.

The UNESCO Science Report reveals that Asia has increased its global share of R&D to 32%, up from 27% in 2002, and the global share of R&D out of the EU, Japan, and the U.S. combined has decreased from 83% to 76%, though they remain the leader in number of yearly patents initiated. "The distribution of research and development (R&D) efforts between North and South has changed with the emergence of new players in the global economy," says UNESCO Director General, Irina Boko, in the report.