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The intimate, though as yet imperfectly understood, causal relation-ship between scientific and technological development and the economic growth in industrially advanced countries over the past 30 years has been investigated and refined over a number of years, and attempts have been made to quantify the relationship. Although a strong scientific and technological (S & T) base does not by itself guarantee rapid economic growth, most observers consider it to be a necessary prerequisite, after a certain level of development has been reached. One of the main ways that S & T act on the economic system is by the generation of new knowledge through research activities and the application of this in production. Such application often results in new products and processes which are grouped under the term "technological innovations." The innovation process is usually defined as "the technical, industrial and commercial steps which lead to the successful marketing of new manufactured products and/or to the commercial use of technically new processes or equipment."

In the past few years, Chinese researchers on domestic S & T (science and technology) policy have identified a number of factors responsible for the past inability of the indigenous S & T system to produce the type of R & D results which whould have stimulated rapid economic development and factors leading to the under-utilization of those results that had the potential to do so. Present strategy accordingly is focussed on both solving organizational, managerial and linkage problems involving the actors in the innovation process and on improving the environment in which each stage of the process takes place. China moving away from an ineffectual innovation system. (DÜI-Sen)