This publication examines the relationship between innovation policy and economic performance in six OECD countries - Austria, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In-depth analyses highlight countries' strengths and weaknesses in innovation, as well as the effectiveness of their innovation policies in driving economic performance. Taken together, the country studies constitute a rich evidence base which will be of considerable interest to innovation policy makers in all OECD countries. They indicate that countries share a need to adapt - or even profoundly change - their innovation policies in order to deal with opportunities and threats posed by new technological and economic developments.