Starclouds

I was recently chatting about innovation with an editor friend of mine, and she asked me what unexplored questions I thought should be addressed.

Well, I don’t know how “unexplored” they are, but here are the three questions I sent her:

• Is there really a “ Gathering Storm?” Is the U.S. really falling behind in science and engineering, as so many politicians and reports allege? Figures suggest otherwise. If anything, there is a glut of scientists and engineers in most fields. So the strenuous efforts being undertaken to increase their number may be misguided, and divert attention from more serious problems with American S&E. Leonard Lynn and Hal Salzman at the Urban Institute in Washington have been taking a hard look at this question, and have a long paper coming out within a day or two.
• Do science and technology suffer from a “tragedy of the anti-commons?” Does the patent system, which is supposed to reward innovation, actually get in the way of innovation? In some areas, notably biomedical research, it arguably does just that. Innovation thrives on the free flow of knowledge, which allows researchers to build upon one another’s accomplishments. But in practice, their obsession with priority, publication and patents can create an atmosphere of secrecy and mistrust that greatly hampers that flow. One of the many economists who have worried about this issue is Stephen Maurer at UC-Berkeley.
• Is science really the bedrock of economic performance that it’s claimed to be? The answer is yes-and no. The money being poured into research is definitely necessary for growth and competitiveness. But it’s far from being sufficient-a point that decision-makers often miss, in both the public and private sectors. Just as critical is a host of intangible factors: a company’s (or a society’s) ability to attract and retain good people; to create a supportive climate for innovation; to recognize and seize opportunities when they arise; to enter into fruitful alliances and partnerships-on and on. An economist who has thought a great deal about these intangible factors-and the implications for policy-is Kenan Patrick Jarboe, President of the Athena Alliance here in DC. Also relevant to that last point about alliances and partnership is a recent paper by Lynn and Salzman, Collaborative Advantage.

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