About

The Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the OECD, established in 2024 to monitor global trends in research and innovation (R&I) talent, career paths, and mobility across OECD and EU countries and beyond. It brings together a range of international statistics, analytical tools, and resources, all focused on R&I careers, in one place.

ReICO also provides a convening space for everyone working to put data to better use in policy on the people behind research and innovation. Working with national governments and a wide range of partners, the project is developing new methodologies, indicators, and analysis needed to fill long-standing gaps in the evidence. Leveraging the OECD's experience in international statistics and R&I policy analysis, ReICO aims to make data on R&I careers easier to find, understand, and apply in decision-making processes.

ReICO is designed as a long-term, collaborative project, built on the understanding that improving the measurement of R&I careers will take time and sustained investment. Over time, ReICO will continue to expand, drawing in new content from across its activities to strengthen the international evidence base on R&I personnel and their careers.

• The OECD is recognised for its expertise in establishing and applying measurement standards in science, technology, and innovation.
• R&I careers are a global concern crucial to the future of science and innovation, making it all the more important that they are measured to consistent international standards.
• Strengthening researchers' contributions to economic development, and the conditions that enable them, is a priority for OECD members and partners.
• The OECD offers a unique focal point for international cooperation and collaborative efforts towards a sustainable evidence agenda for R&I careers.

• Policymakers: who can ground decisions about R&I talent development and attraction in stronger evidence and see more clearly where improvements in evidence and policy are needed.
• R&I-performing organisations: as the entities that develop and employ research and innovation talent, including higher education institutions, government, business, and the social sector.
• People working or wishing to work in R&I: who can contribute their own experience and perspectives to the ReICO evidence base and, in turn, access data that can inform their career choices.
• Statistical offices: as key partners in shaping measurement standards and in collecting, analysing, and sharing data on R&I careers.
• The R&I researcher community: who can use ReICO’s data to gain deeper insights into the impact of R&I systems and the conditions of people working with them.

ReICO supports decision-makers and fosters international cooperation through:

• Providing dashboards with standardised, internationally comparable statistical indicators, offering a rounded and balanced view of R&I talent and careers.
• Developing a shared conceptual framework, setting out and refining key concepts, definitions, and classifications relating to R&I careers and aligning them with existing policy and statistical models as well as other emerging frameworks. This conceptual work is vital for enhancing international dialogue and cooperation.
• Recommending updates to OECD's measurement guidelines to enhance their accuracy and relevance and laying the groundwork for cooperative actions to addressing existing data gaps.