Research and development are often singled out as one of the key drivers of growth in the Nordic economies. However, there appears to be only limited knowledge about how the framework conditions for private sector research and the prioritisation of public sector research ensure efficiency and quality in national research efforts as a whole. The project "Macroeconomic Framework Conditions and the Management of Research and Development in the Nordic Countries" sheds light on the existing framework conditions for research and development in the Nordic countries. The project provides some of the knowledge needed to answer the question of how to ensure that research and development in the both the private and public sector continue to yield high returns. The project also looks into how the various Nordic countries differ from each other in terms of the organisation of and framework conditions for public and private research. The project forms part of the Danish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2005.