R&D and ICT are both important drivers of productivity. But they are also simplifications, and the money spent on each can be both a fantastic investment and a missed opportunity. In this paper, we survey the 'conditioning' factors behind the success or failure of these inputs. For R&D these include location and the way funding is delivered. But for both cases it is getting the right 'mix' in place which is just as important as getting the sheer quantity of investment in place.