The Role of Basic Science in Innovation
Mark F. Bregman, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Symantec Corporation
For this first blog entry on the BASIC website I would like to share some of my thoughts about the importance of investing in basic science. Our understanding of science forms the foundation upon which most of our modern, technologically driven, world rests. Since the Enlightenment science has been the driving force behind progress, both in the world of technology and the world of men.
In today’s world it is accepted that innovation drives economic growth and well-being. The Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium exists to ensure that Bay Area innovation continues to flourish. Innovation requires both the creation of new ideas (invention) and the application of these ideas in ways that create value (exploitation).
The Bay Area is a unique crucible for both of these phases. Our great universities and National Labs attract the best researchers who explore the frontiers of science and in doing so establish the intellectual infrastructure upon which innovation is built. The combination of venture capital and the diverse mixture of skills provides a unique environment for the exploitation of the new ideas.
As a technologist in a very competitive industry I spend a considerable amount of my time worrying about innovation. Industry has a critical role in exploiting ideas and inventions and turning them into products and services that provide value to customers. On the other hand industry does not have the ability to develop the intellectual infrastructure that underpins these innovations. This is an important role for government.
After World War II the U.S., stimulated by Dr. Vannevar Bush’s paper ‘Science The Endless Frontier’, invested heavily in basic science research. This led to the development of our National Lab system and the expansion of our great research universities. Most of the innovations we see around us today, from MRI scanners to iPods, were built upon fundamental science research conducted on U.S. university campuses or national labs.
Since the mid 1980’s there has been a subtle but important shift in federal science funding away from basic science toward more outcome oriented research. At the same time new global players have emerged (viz. China and India) who are investing heavily in basic science research; taking a page from our own playbook. In the long term this threatens U.S. competitiveness as we build less of the critical intellectual infrastructure to support innovation and they build more.
Given the current fiscal climate it is not reasonable to look for additional government funding for basic science; rather we should be trying to make the current level of investment more effective. One way to do this is to refocus our efforts on using government funding for basic science and have industry focus its efforts on exploiting the ideas that are uncovered. The Bay Area, with its unique combination of great universities and a vibrant culture of innovation, can take the lead in rebuilding our intellectual infrastructure.
In this blog I will, from time to time, post my observations and thoughts about the intimate relationship between basic science and innovation. I hope you will join in the dialog.
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely thought you would probably have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.
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