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https://theconversation.com/new-report-reveals-glaring-gaps-between-australias-future-needs-and-science-capabilities-264355>
"Since 1945, three-quarters of all global economic growth has been driven by
technological advances. Since 1990, 90% of that advance has been rooted in
fundamental science, according to Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State
University.
Corporate leaders in the United States understood this decades ago when they
urged Congress to back “patient capital” for research – because this type of
investment creates openings for breakthrough applications.
Think of the building blocks of our modern economy – wifi, smartphones,
advanced cancer therapies, drought-tolerant crops and satellite navigation.
These began as basic research, often with no obvious immediate application.
Then they became the platforms for whole new industries.
But in Australia, we still treat research funding as a discretionary extra,
subject to the ebb and flow of political expediency and annual budgets. Despite
decades of speeches, reviews and strategic papers, our investment in knowledge
creation and its application has nose-dived.
Today, the Australian Academy of Science released a landmark report that
systematically measures our science capability against future needs for the
first time.
The findings are blunt. We have gaps – in workforce, infrastructure and
coordination – that will cripple our ability to secure a bright future for the
next generation, unless we act now."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
