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25.7%. The annual rate of increase in patent applications by foreign companies in China, 1991 to 2001

What do patent statistics tell you about innovation? It depends how you count them, says the OECD. Nuala Moran investigates.

Europe is lousy at reaping the commercial benefits of its R&D. To spur reform, Science|Business is preparing a “manifesto” of policy measures for technology transfer and innovation. What’s needed? A revolution.

Sarissa Biomedical, a spin-out from the University of Warwick, that has designed a sensor to give an early warning of fetal hypoxia during birth, is looking for investors to strike licensing agreements.

What is wrong with France’s basic research? There’s something missing, but it’s not resources, says Jean-Marc Schlenker.

Philips Research has developed a woodstove for cooking in rural communities in developing countries – and is looking for partners to bring this technology to the market.

Scientists at the University of Aston in the UK believe they have achieved the Holy Grail of telecommunications – the lossless transmission of data over optical fibres.

Opening corporate innovation to outsiders is the new way to run a lab. In multinational R&D, the concept of "not invented here" is quickly giving way to "proudly found elsewhere".

Lost in the European patent maze? Or not sure where to start? Try finding your way around with the Science|Business guide to patents in Europe

There’s just one problem with the idea of a European Institute of Technology – some of the businesses and universities it’s supposed to benefit don’t want it.

Dateline Shanghai. Well, we have to find a way to introduce a rare excursion into talking about tax credits for R&D in China.

The University of Cambridge named a Chicago-based venture capitalist and technology transfer specialist, Teri F. Willey, to head its technology commercialisation business and to implement a controversial new patent policy.

A group of researchers at Southampton University takes time off from deep thoughts about the future of information technology to see if they can work out how to spot the next "killer app". Not quite, but they have some thoughts on how to look out for great ideas that use the semantic web.

A short volume of statistical data supports the IEA's big report on renewable energy.