National strategies for science, technology and innovation (STI) serve several functions in government policy making. First, they articulate the government’s vision regarding the contribution of STI to their country’s social and economic development. Second, they set priorities for public investment in STI and identify the focus of government reforms (e.g. university research funding and evaluation systems). Third, the development of these strategies can engage stakeholders ranging from the research community, funding agencies, business, and civil society to regional and local governments in policy making and implementation. In some cases, national strategies outline the specific policy instruments to be used to meet a set of goals or objectives. In others, they serve as visionary guideposts for various stakeholders.