Indicators for the Knowledge-based Economy: A Comparison between South Korea and The Netherlands

TL;DR

This paper compares the innovation systems of South Korea and the Netherlands using a multi-indicator approach based on the Triple Helix model, highlighting differences in their knowledge infrastructure and economic orientations.

Contribution

It introduces a triangulation strategy combining webometric, scientometric, and technometric indicators to evaluate national innovation systems within the Triple Helix framework.

Findings

South Korea shows stronger scientific and technological outputs.

The Netherlands is more oriented towards the global Internet economy.

South Korea's biomedical research and patenting are underdeveloped.

Abstract

This paper elaborates on the Triple Helix model for measuring the emergence of a knowledge base of socio-economic systems. The 'knowledge infrastructure' is measured using multiple indicators: webometric, scientometric, and technometric. The paper employs this triangulation strategy to examine the current state of the innovation systems of South Korea and the Netherlands. These indicators are thereafter used for the evaluation of the systemness in configurations of university-industry-government relations. South Korea is becoming somewhat stronger than the Netherlands in terms of scientific and technological outputs and in terms of the knowledge-based dynamics; South Korea's portfolio is more traditional than that of the Netherlands. For example, research and patenting in the biomedical sector is underdeveloped. In terms of the Internet-economy, the Netherlands seem oriented towards global trends more than South Korea; this may be due to the high component of services in the Dutch economy.