Secondly, they suggest that developing countries depend on international scientific assistance, which has its own frequently changing investment agenda. There are also large disparities in key socio-economic indicators that can influence R&D potential such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which varies from US$ 592 000 million for South Africa to less than US$ 1 000 million for Comoros. According to the World Bank (The World Bank, undated) R&D expenditure (per cent of GDP) is defined as the current and capital expenditures (both public and private) on creative work undertaken systematically to increase knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture, and society, and the use of knowledge for new applications. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.