A breakout session at the "think.beyond Summit" focussed on the economic benefits of basic research and thus the relationship between science and application. It turned out that the supposed opposites are not. One of the greatest challenges of the future is the acceleration of technological development.
Alarmed by the declining stature of its universities, Japan is planning to shower up to $2.3 billion a year on a handful of schools in hopes of boosting their prominence. The scheme was approved by the Japanese legislature on 18 May, although many details, including how to pick the favored universities, are still up in the air. But the move, under study for more than a year, has rekindled a debate among academics over how to reverse Japan’s sinking research fortunes. Several previous schemes have yielded mixed results.
From neuroscience to nanomanufacturing, fields that didn't exist a century ago evolved from the intersection of disciplines when scientists collaborated to solve challenges in new, innovative ways. With today's scientific advances and the lightning speed of technology, working together across boundaries has never been more enticing, or more challenging.
The UK wants a far reaching research agreement with the EU and to remain a member of EU agencies after Brexit, prime minister Theresa May said, as the second phase of negotiations, dealing with the future trading relationship, gets underway.
“The UK is committed to establishing a far-reaching science and innovation pact with the EU, facilitating the exchange of ideas and researchers,” said May.
We know innovation drives corporate growth. As Strategy& reported in its 2015 survey of 1,757 executives, “innovation today is a key driver of organic growth for all companies — regardless of sector or geography.” According to that report, the top 1,000 R&D spenders invested $680 billion in R&D that year, up 5% from the prior year. Historically, R&D has been viewed as the engine of national economic growth as well.
It’s often said that Thomas Edison’s finest invention wasn’t the light bulb or the record player; it was the concept of an ongoing industrial innovation and development process. Corporations from Edison’s own General Electric to Ma Bell, Corning, and Kodak took his idea and ran with it, setting the stage for the modern R&D lab.
Many in the business community would be delighted to hear that the federal government, as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda, is proposing to measure the practical ‘impact’ of academic research.
Universities will then be partially funded on their ability to demonstrate this impact in regular government research assessment exercises.
