Presidents and Patents
This editorial was written in October of 2008, before the US presidential election between candidates McCain and Obama. I’ve heard both candidates talk about investing in energy technologies, but I hope that whoever is elected President of the US will support the basic research and development that brings about patents upon which many types of technology are discovered.
George W. Bush established the President’s Council of Advisors on Science (PCAST) and Technology back in 2001. The group’s recommendations included raising funding levels for research and development, but the reality has been that our funding levels have dropped over the past two decades when adjusted for inflation. We spend less money on research and development in a year than we spend in one week of funding the war in Iraq.
Ross Perot, the former CEO of Texas Instruments who once ran for President of the US, warned us that we should not neglect the manufacturing base of our economy, which partially relies on basic research and development to thrive. I wish more people would have listened to Perot’s warning because a lack of manufacturing jobs is a contributing factor in the economic downturn from which we must now recover.
Manufacturing jobs that used to be in the US have now moved to other countries like China, South Korea, and Taiwan. While our government was asleep at the R&D controls, those economies have been increasing their R&D investments over the past decade. Together, these countries are catching up to the US’s R&D investment, if they haven’t already passed the US by the time you read this editorial.
According to PCAST, federal funding of basic research in engineering and physical sciences has been declining for decades. Although the private companies like Caterpillar continue to pump money into research and development, these companies cannot make up for a lack of government leadership when it comes to investing in basic research upon which patents are often found.
So, whoever wins this year’s US presidential election needs to fund basic research and development in energy as well as other technology sectors that will help the US and other economies grow. Hopefully, that investment will help pull us up from the economic mess we find ourselves in now.
Bruce Wiebusch
George W. Bush established the President’s Council of Advisors on Science (PCAST) and Technology back in 2001. The group’s recommendations included raising funding levels for research and development, but the reality has been that our funding levels have dropped over the past two decades when adjusted for inflation. We spend less money on research and development in a year than we spend in one week of funding the war in Iraq.
Ross Perot, the former CEO of Texas Instruments who once ran for President of the US, warned us that we should not neglect the manufacturing base of our economy, which partially relies on basic research and development to thrive. I wish more people would have listened to Perot’s warning because a lack of manufacturing jobs is a contributing factor in the economic downturn from which we must now recover.
Manufacturing jobs that used to be in the US have now moved to other countries like China, South Korea, and Taiwan. While our government was asleep at the R&D controls, those economies have been increasing their R&D investments over the past decade. Together, these countries are catching up to the US’s R&D investment, if they haven’t already passed the US by the time you read this editorial.
According to PCAST, federal funding of basic research in engineering and physical sciences has been declining for decades. Although the private companies like Caterpillar continue to pump money into research and development, these companies cannot make up for a lack of government leadership when it comes to investing in basic research upon which patents are often found.
So, whoever wins this year’s US presidential election needs to fund basic research and development in energy as well as other technology sectors that will help the US and other economies grow. Hopefully, that investment will help pull us up from the economic mess we find ourselves in now.
Bruce Wiebusch
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