Planning & Development  

Human Resources Development Strategy » Scientific Research and Development Sector

The scientific research and development is one of the elements of the science and technology system. It includes education sustainable development, production and services publication and media information, consultancy services and technology marketing and standardization. The scientific research and development can be defined as a creative intellectual process that is designed for establishing novel solutions for existing or expected problems or inventing new processes to produce commodities and services that may be utilized to increase the productivity. The scientific research contributes significantly to the solution of the problems facing countries and communities in its different scientific economic and social aspects. This is through provision of innovations and inventions that assist in improving the quality of life. As a result of this, scientific research became the basis for society's progress and development through innovations, formulation of solutions for the

scientific health and environmental problems, upgrading the available natural resources and increasing the scientific human and material capacities and improving the efficiency of their utilization.

Each country that award significant importance to science and technology has a system consisting of a number of compounds and elements. On the one hand each one of the sectors has its subsidiary systems of science and technology such as human resources development, scientific research and technological development, technology transfer and production and marketing. On the other hand the science and technology system could be viewed as a control system with inputs (composed of objectives, resources, imported technologies, domestic development beside the cultural and social elements) and outputs (involving knowledge advanced processing techniques, modern equipment, skills and advanced services) and with a feed back mechanism.

The results of many studies proved the existence of a close link between the country's per capita expenditure on research and development and the per capita income. It is very clear that per capita income increases in the countries where the per capita expenditure on research and development increases. In addition to this there is a positive correlation between the number of scientists and engineers working in the scientific research area and the per capita income.

Since the dawn of its blessed renaissance the Sultanate has been able to recognize the importance of scientific research and development for accelerating the economic and social development and improvement of quality of life for the population. The Vision for Oman's Economy: Oman 2020 gave a special attention to scientific research and development as a primary support for bringing about development and its sustainability. The scientific research and development is considered primary elements in the strategies adopted for economic diversification in the vision as the strategies of the high value added and technology transfer and settlement depend on it. the Vision seeks intensification of the efforts aiming at upgrading the scientific research and development and supporting it through increased expenditure on it. This attention appeared in the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman in His Majesty speech in the Twenty Ninth National Day celebrations as H. M. emphasized the importance of depending on research and development for promotion of the Omani society.