Norwegian public policy has discouraged investments in basic research

A new OECD report finds that Norway is at the bottom among industrialized states for private donations to basic research. Between 2004 and 2006, private individuals donated a paltry NOK 541 million to research, and of this amount, 400 million came from one individual, Trond Mohn in Bergen. Researchers speculate this is because of a public policy that discourages such investments - one of Trond Mohn's offers was in fact rejected by the government.