The OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012 is the ninth in a biennial series designed to review key trends in science, technology and innovation (STI) in OECD countries and a number of major non-member economies: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and South Africa. It aims at informing policy makers responsible for STI policies, business representatives and analysts about recent and anticipated changes in the global patterns of science, technology and innovation and to understand the current and possible future implications for national STI policies both at global and national level.