The question ‘What is the right balance between basic and applied research?’ is often asked but has no single answer that would be valid at all times and in all places. Rather it depends upon the state of development of an individual economy and the extent to which it comprises science-based versus other kinds of industry. The discussion is made no easier by the politicised nature of the term ‘basic research’, which can at once mean research dealing with fundamental phenomena and researcher-initiated research. To tackle the question, therefore, this paper addresses both the cognitive and the political or governance dimensions of ‘basic research’. Our discussion starts with what we know about the question from the history of science and the research-onresearch literature, moves on to look at some examples of how countries make the trade-off and then uses the findings from these to shed light on the composition and governance of Horizon 2020.

Source: The Report