The world according to Nobel Prize winners
If the BRIC economies are to export ideas, not just goods, they might need to nurture a few more Laureates
Enter prize culture
The legacy of a dynamite tycoon, Nobel Prizes are awarded in chemistry, economics, literature, medicine, peace (Barack Obama being the most recent winner) and physics.
Switzerland’s whopping share of Nobels may reflect its ability to punch above its economic weight. Between 1950 and 2001, the Swiss Nobel factor (Laureates per million inhabitants) was 1.11, compared to 0.84 for the UK and 0.71 for the US. As proud as the Swiss are of this fact, the Faroe Isles’ Nobel factor is 20.47. Mind you, the Swiss have still won 50% more Nobels than Japan.
Knowledge economics
One way nations become economic superpowers is to export knowledge. The UK did just that in the 19th century, but the US, with an all-time tally of 309 Nobel Prize winners, dominated the knowledge economy in the 20th century. California alone has provided almost 100 Nobel Laureates since World War II.
The award of prizes has only partially reflected global economic shifts. China has won all four of its Nobels since 1957, and Japan has won all 16 of its awards since 1948 (indeed, in 2008, one in four Laureates were born or worked there). But India won half its eight Nobels before independence, while Russia has only won four of its 23 since the demise of the USSR.
The picture blurs when you map Nobel Laureates against patents. Japan filed 29% of patents in 2006, with the US second (22.1%). From 2001 to 2006, China’s share of patents rose from 1.9% to 7.3%, and it is now more inventive than Germany.
Winning Nobels is one sign of a country’s economic development, but it is not the only measure. The Laureate statistics suggest that if China and India want to shift from ‘Made in’ to ‘Created in’ they have some work to do yet.
Article first published in Design Council Magazine, Issue 7, Winter 2009
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