This thesis reviews economic justifications for public funding of basic research as well as how these justifications are applied in recent european research and innovation policy. Here, economic effects of basic research play a central role. Based on a questionnaire-based survey which was performed for this thesis, it is analyzed which economic effects of basic resarch are generated during the special case of the construction phase of large basic research infrastructure.The European XFEL project was taken as an empirical example. The questionnaire which focused on learning effects among suppliers of custom developed or technologically demanding construction elements reported significant technological, organizational and social learning effects. They are interpreted as a stimulus for commercial technology development which is based on the contrasting motives and organizational structures of basic science.