IP: Council on Competitiveness Report

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Council Report Finds Endless Opportunities But Limited Resources
for R&D


A wide array of partnerships and collaborations is the key to
keeping the U.S. R&D enterprise vital and competitive in the
post-Cold War era -- that is the conclusion of a report released in
April by the Council on Competitiveness.  The Council, a
nonpartisan organization with members from the private sector,
academia, and labor unions, hopes the report will help foster a
national consensus on the roles of government and other players in
research and development.  The 145-page report is entitled,
"Endless Frontier, Limited Resources," in recognition of the fact
that while "the promises and expectations of R&D are increasing,"
all sectors are having difficulty finding sufficient resources to
pursue those opportunities.


The Council finds that the U.S. "has an urgent interest in
resolving" the ideological debate over federal R&D policy, which
"has injected a striking degree of unpredictability into the entire
innovation process."  The report suggests identifying research by
three categories, distinguished by time, risk and relevance: 
Short-term, low-risk research, for which industry is primarily
responsible, is targeted at incremental improvements that can reach
the marketplace in one to three years.  Mid-term, mid-risk
research, for which industry and government share the primary
responsibility, requires four to seven years, and often pursues the
relevance of longer-term research discoveries.  Long-term,
high-risk research, which is mainly the province of universities
and the government, can be targeted toward some practical purpose
or can be intended simply to expand fundamental scientific
knowledge.  "In the final analysis," the report says, "policy
makers must cut through this semantic quagmire and come to grips
with two fundamental questions:  What research is necessary to
maintain the nation's scientific and technological competitiveness;
[and] which of those research endeavors will not be accomplished
without government investment?"


The report lays out recommendations for government, industry, and
academia.  Recognizing that all three sectors are experiencing
budget pressures, it recommends that each re-examine and focus on
its main priorities, develop its unique strengths and capabilities,
and partner with the other sectors to leverage and share in their
unique strengths.  


The report's advice to industry is:  "increase its contribution to
the U.S. R&D enterprise" by furnishing more resources and using
them more effectively; overcome organizational and attitudinal
barriers to partnerships; increase and strengthen its R&D spending;
"focus its research priorities" and integrate its knowledge and
capabilities more fully; and "take timely advantage" of
leading-edge results from universities and government labs so the
U.S. gains the benefits before foreign firms.  


For government, the report urges:  meet its "obligation to
stimulate civilian research," particularly in critical areas beyond
the reach of industry sectors alone; "do its part to foster
research partnerships" by participation and by improving access to
federally funded research; "create a business environment more
conducive to" private support of R&D; adjust federal research to
today's missions and budgets; and maintain its support of American
universities to ensure the nation has centers of excellence in
critical fields.


The academic sector, the report says, should: continue its
indispensable role of producing "a steady stream of students
well-educated in science and technology;" and review its policies
- particularly on intellectual property rights - to encourage
partnerships.


The recommendations are backed up by six case studies of critical
U.S. industrial sectors: aircraft, automotive, chemical,
electronics, information technologies, and pharmaceuticals.  The
studies analyze the challenges each industry is facing, how it is
reacting, and how it compares with foreign competitors.  


The report is available via the Council on Competitiveness Home
Page at: http://nii.nist.gov/coc.html - select Major Policy Reports
under the Publications category for a link to the report.  It can
be purchased in the U.S. for $25.00 plus $3.50 shipping from The
Council on Competitiveness Publications Office, 1401 H Street, NW,
Suite 650, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 682-4292.