Investments in Infratechnology as an Indicator of Technological Advancement: An Exploratory Study

这项探索性研究的目的是发展时间 2000 - 2001年基础设施投资总额系列数据 美国并评估这些之间的统计关系 投资和各项技术进步指标。 在 研究与开发（R D）支出的变化-- 它将直接投资纳入科学基础， 通用技术和专有技术， 被视为技术健康的重要指标， 我们的经济 然而，进行研发的效率取决于 大量投资于基础设施，包括 非专有测量和试验方法、程序和数据 支持行业内部研发、生产和营销 活动 因此，基础设施总投资数据 可能代表了一个重要的新指标， 技术进步。 因此，该项目可以促进 基金会的责任，以提供收集 科学和工程数据的分析和解释 资源

The purpose of this exploratory study is to develop time series data on aggregate investments in infratechnology in the U.S. and to evaluate the statistical relationship between these investments and various indices of technological advancement. In general, changes in research and development (R&D) expenditures-- which capture direct investments into the scientific base, generic technologies and proprietary technologies--have long been viewed as an important indicator of the technological health of our economy. The efficiency of conducting R&D, however, depends heavily on investments in infratechnologies, which consist of nonproprietary measurement and test methods, procedures, and data that support an industry's internal R&D, production and marketing activities. As such, data on aggregate investments in infratechnology could represent an important new indicator of the Nation's technological advancement. This project thereby could contribute to the Foundation's responsibility to provide for the collection and interpretation of data on scientific and engineering resources.