The fourth age of research

Abstract

Research has progressed through three ages: the individual, the institutional and the national. Nations competed to be at the cutting edge because this con- tributed to the wider economy through knowledge, new processes and products. Today, we are entering a fourth age of research, driven by international collabora- tions between elite research groups. This will challenge the ability of nations to conserve their scientific wealth either as intellectual property or as research talent1–3 .