Exploratory data analysis of national indicators referred to scientific and technological development and to economic growth

Abstract

Study topicality is determined by the need to identify relationship between the level of economic growth of a country and the factors reflecting its scientific and technological development, i.e. expenses on education, research and development, number of researchers, as well as patent and publication activity. The authors carried out an exploratory analysis of these mentioned above indicators in 95 countries of the world, which were divided into three groups according to the GDP level. In order to carry out analysis and visualize the results obtained, scatter plot matrices, casual maps and self-organizing maps were used. The authors' initial hypothesis consisted in the fact that between all national indicators of a country scientific and technological development and economic growth there exists a positive relationship, and it was confirmed only in part of the GDP positive impact on expenses in education and science. Publication and patent activity did not manage to demonstrate statistically significant impact thereof on the GDP indicators. A conclusion was made that publication and patent activity indicators were not the representative markers of innovative development; and investments in the production of codified knowledge were not independently a factor positively effecting national economy. Expediency of further research was sustained concentrating on the mechanism influencing economic growth of implicit cognitive factors in production determined by education and science development level, as well as the use of these factors as priorities in determining key performance indicators of national projects and programs.