U.S. Government, Universities Must Partner to Address Shifts in International Competitiveness

Universities play a vital and extensive role in driving innovation in the United States. They offer a vast research base (a total of $50 billion nationwide), the ability to teach and develop a fresh new workforce (3 million graduates each year), goodwill of successful alumni, the ability to convene disparate expertise, and a deep commitment to local communities. Universities have been important players to date, and we have an opportunity to further nurture these vibrant ecologies to sustainably generate greater innovation and economic growth.

In the context of the declining state of innovation in the United States, we have an opportunity to tap into universities in a variety of ways, among them:

Stoking the engine of innovation–supporting university research, the foundation for the most groundbreaking innovations and innovators that can create new industries

Supporting the flow and application of knowledge–bringing industry expertise to academia and reducing scientific risk to enable early discoveries to advance to the stage where the private sector is willing to invest and capitalize on them

Seeding innovation ecosystems–creating the culture, human capital, and connections necessary to form innovation networks where researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, and other research interests can collaborate and compete

Measuring for success–developing the right framework and infrastructure for measuring innovation to guide policymaking and investments

Preparing for shifts in competitiveness–rethinking assumptions and trying new approaches so that policy can drive new frontiers of innovation

By Krisztina Z Holly

Full Story: http://stevens.usc.edu/read_article.php?news_id=725