Quantitative data will be complemented by an extensive amount of qualitative fieldwork in our case study countries, which will be led by the Lead Researcher and the National Research Partner. This will primarily involve interviews and workshops with key actors in the science and innovation systems of each country (as well as international collaborators, diaspora communities and other agencies).

The research will be tailored to the individual country context, whilst also ensuring enough complementarities across all countries to enable rigorous and accurate comparison. We have deliberately chosen a diverse cross-section of country case studies from different geographical and economic backgrounds and through our analysis, we will promote cross-OIC learning and successful models of science and innovation-led development. Phase I – the pilot case studies – will help shape Phase II, the remainder of the case study work. The pilot studies will test the methodology and allow us to further refine it for the remaining countries.

The types of people / institutions we will wish to interview during the fieldwork include but are not limited to:

• Government departments / agencies
• Universities (private and public)
• Research institutes
• Think tanks
• The private sector
• Including indigenous companies and foreign / MNCs
• The National Academy of Science
• Scientists / researchers
• Academics
• Venture capitalists
• Entrepreneurs / Innovators
• Business leaders
• Politicians & leading public servants
• Leading experts and thinkers of or on the country / specific sectors
• Diaspora communities
• Ambassadors and other dignitaries
• Key figures in the national scientific ambition
• ‘Home grown’ heroes of science