First, it depicts the integration of science and technology and economy in a quantitative way. The proposition that science and technology are endogenous variables in the economic system put forward by neoclassical economics reveals that the quantitative expansion of science and technology in the economic field has changed the macro-characteristics of the economic system and the social functions of science and technology itself.
according to the production function theory of traditional economics, economic growth depends on the amount of capital and labor (input), and its accounting formula is: economic growth% = labor growth%+capital growth%. This formula shows that labor and capital are endogenous variables of economic growth. However, the research on the economic growth of developed countries shows that if calculated according to this formula, there is still a big "balance" if the growth of all national income in these countries is subtracted from the growth of these factors. Denison, an American economist, showed that there was a "balance" of 45.5% of the total national income growth in the United States from 1948 to 1969, minus the growth of all factor inputs, of which 3.9% was caused by the progress of science and technology. Further research shows that the GNP of the United States increased by 3.2% annually from 1948 to 1981, of which the input contribution accounted for 1.1%, capital and labor accounted for .5% and .6% respectively; The total factor productivity (technical progress index) accounts for 2.1%, of which education accounts for .6% and the progress of knowledge and other factors accounts for 1.5%. These facts show that science, technology and education have become the endogenous variables of economic growth and the basic factors of macroeconomic changes in the economic system.
about the quantitative expression and measurement of science and technology as endogenous variables in the economic system, the mathematician Charles? Cobb and economist Bauer? Douglas put forward the unconstrained form of production function, distinguished the different factors leading to economic growth, and provided a convenient method for studying the growth of science and technology and economy. On this basis, American economist Thoreau put forward the growth rate equation in 195s, in which the role of scientific and technological progress can be quantitatively measured: the speed of scientific and technological progress (%)a=Y-αK-βL
. Among them, A is the average growth rate of scientific and technological progress, Y is the average annual growth rate of output, K is the average annual growth rate of capital, α is the output elasticity coefficient of capital, and β is the output elasticity coefficient of labor. It can be calculated that the contribution of scientific and technological progress to the growth rate of output value is: E=a/Y×1%
As an endogenous variable of economic growth, science and technology directly reflects huge economic benefits. If the ex-factory price per kilogram of products is calculated, if the steel bar is 1, the car is 5, the color TV set is 3, the computer is 1, and the integrated circuit is as high as 2. According to statistics, at the beginning of the 2th century, only 5%-2% of the productivity of developed countries came from science and technology. After the 195s, 6%-8% relied on the progress of science and technology. The contribution of science and technology to the American economy has reached 1/3, and the contribution to the world economy has reached 14.7%. The integration of science and technology and economic process is no longer a qualitative expression, but a quantitative determination form.
Secondly, it reveals the micro and macro transformation mechanism of the integration of science, technology and economy with innovation theory, and dynamically explains the integration process of science, technology and economy. On the one hand, it shows that the integration of science, technology and economy is mature in the development mechanism, on the other hand, it also shows that its theoretical research is deepening.
the integration of science, technology and economy is reflected in quantity on the condition of the existence of qualitative transformation mechanism between them. Schumpeter explained this mechanism with the theory of technological innovation. Schumpeter believes that the so-called technological innovation is a new allocation of production factors, or a new production function is established to introduce a new combination of production factors into the production system. The specific contents are:
(1) introducing new products and new quality of products;
(2) introducing new technologies or adopting new production methods;
(3) opening up new markets;
(4) opening up and utilizing new sources of raw material supply;
(5) realize the new organization of the enterprise.
It is from these five links that Schumpeter reveals the transformation mechanism of the integration of science, technology and economy at the enterprise level. On this basis, Schumpeter further explained the macro-transformation mechanism of the integration of science, technology and economy. He believes that with the emergence of innovation in some enterprises, other enterprises imitate and promote new products, technologies and organizations in order to share the benefits of innovation, which has caused a wave of technological innovation, so the economy is on the rise. Therefore, innovation is the driving force of economic growth. Schumpeter described this dynamic function periodically: innovation caused imitation to form the first wave of innovation and prosperity; The wave of innovation caused the demand to increase, promoted the "over-investment behavior", and the profit opportunities gradually disappeared, leading to the economic recession; Because there is no new innovation to promote, product prices are dominated by production costs again, and the economy is moving towards an unbalanced stage-depression; After that, the over-investment behavior was adjusted and turned into recovery, in order to prepare for innovation and new prosperity. Therefore, the innovation process mentioned by Schumpeter is the integration process of science and technology and economy, the growth process of economy, or the dynamic development process of the internal unity of science and technology and economy.
the explanation of innovation theory on the process of economic growth proves that science and technology are indeed endogenous variables of economic development, and on the other hand, it explains how the "quality" of science and technology has changed into the "quality" of economy. In the process of innovation, the rapid industrialization of science and technology has become a new economic reality. In recent decades, with the rapid industrialization of high technology and the constant change of industrial structure, IT industry, electronic industry, optical industry, polymer industry, new material engineering, biological engineering and so on have emerged. New scientific and technological inventions or discoveries are also the emergence of new qualities in the economic field. This is the unity of science and technology and economic development in quality.
the integration of science, technology and economy is a historical process, and the maturity and expression of their transformation mechanism has also gone through a historical process. According to research, the time to transform scientific and technological achievements into economic benefits was roughly 1 years in the 18th century, 5 years in the 19th century, and about 7 years after the 194s. Now, in the computer industry, the product renewal cycle has dropped to 3-6 months. This reflects the historical trend of the integration of science, technology and economy, and also explains why the theory of the integration of science, technology and economy has gradually matured since the 2th century. After Schumpeter, the theory of innovation continued to develop in the process of integration of science, technology and economy. In 1987, Freeman, a British technical economist, put forward the concept of national innovation system when summing up the experience of Japan's rapid economic development after the war. He believed that innovation was a systematic innovation dominated by technological innovation, supplemented by organizational innovation, institutional innovation and policy innovation. In 1997, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development published the report "National Innovation System", which pointed out that innovation is the result of complex interaction between different subjects and institutions, and the national innovation system is the organizational structure network in a country's public or private sector. Their activities and interactions determine the country's ability to spread knowledge and technology and affect the country's innovation performance and economic development performance. Recently, it has been suggested that innovation is the driving force for the development of the new economy, and knowledge, including concepts, creativity, patents and licenses, will become more important than mature technologies.
thirdly, the modern result of the integrated development of science, technology and economy is the emergence of the so-called network economy. The concept of network economy or new economy reflects the basic characteristics of this economy. Although the new economy or network economy is in its initial stage, it is indeed a qualitative leap in the integration of science, technology and economy. Whether it is the development of science and technology or economy, it needs to be explained from the perspective of their unity, and its operating rules also have new content or quality.