Purdue News
Purdue News
More than 100 people in policy-making positions in government, industry and universities will gather Tuesday in Indianapolis for the Midwest Summit on the Future of American Innovation. This meeting, co-sponsored by the Council on Competitiveness and Purdue University, could have far-reaching consequences for the Indiana economy and the future of the Midwest.
The purpose of the summit is to find ways to strengthen research and development, an enterprise that is crucial to our future quality of life, but all too easy to neglect. For most Americans, research and development activities are like plumbing. As long as it is working well, we don't think much about the fact that it is bringing us life-giving water, while quietly and efficiently carrying away things we don't want around. A breakdown in the system, though, very quickly precipitates inconvenience, followed by disaster.
Research and development activity is the lifeblood of prosperity. It creates and nurtures the ideas that bring us new products, conquer diseases, solve material and logistical problems, allow new businesses to start and established ones to grow. In the process, jobs are created, profits are generated, and the whole cycle of economic development flourishes.
If research and development were to stop or slow down, most people wouldn't notice at first, but economic and social consequences soon would be catastrophic. This fact was recognized recently by the Council on Competitiveness, a non-partisan group that seeks to enhance cooperation among government, industry and universities. The Council's report, Endless Frontier, Limited Resources , pointed out the advantages of a strong national research and development program. The report led this spring to three regional summit meetings on innovation -- in San Diego, Atlanta, and Indianapolis. Ideas generated at these gatherings will be pooled for a national summit to be held later this year in Washington.
The key to keeping research and development healthy is a strong partnership among leading universities, state and federal government agencies, and private corporations. Leaders in these enterprises have recognized this truth. Participants in the April 1 summit will include Gov. Frank O'Bannon; John Yochelson, president of the Council on Competitiveness; Henry Kelly, acting associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology; and the heads of such prominent corporations as Eli Lilly & Co. and Motorola, as well as many higher education executives.
The end of the Cold War is bringing about fundamental changes in the way research is funded. Since World War II, strong federal support for basic research -- much of it defense-based -- has produced enormous gains in productivity and improvements in the quality of life. The revolution in communications and information technology, the vast potential of breakthroughs in biotechnology and most medical advances are possible because of government-funded research at universities. American business has reaped enormous advantages, which it has turned into broad benefits in all sectors of the economy. If we are to continue to thrive as a state, a nation, and as individuals, we must find ways to keep research -- the root of our prosperity -- strong and growing.
The Midwest Summit on Innovation has nothing less than our future as its main agenda item.
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
