The ecosystem that transforms an idea into a product capable of solving real world problems is being hampered by a lack of funding.
This was the topic of a panel discussion at the Ethernet Innovation Summit in Mountain View, California on Tuesday. According to the panellists, the partnerships between academia, industry and government, which were key to the development of Ethernet, are diminishing, which raises concerns about the future of innovation.
Many of the major research labs where the inventions of the past were developed no longer exist, according to Bill Spencer, the former head of Xerox Research/PARC. "These places were devoted to funding research and promoted the development of new ideas," he said, adding that the loss of the supportive players of the past has had a negative impact on innovation and creativity.
JLabs CEO Judy Estrin stressed that it is not enough for researchers to just expand upon the inventions of others, instead of developing ideas of their own. Were Bob and his colleagues working on a concept like Ethernet today, they probably would not be given any funding, she said.
Not only has government funding for basic science been reduced, but it is also being allocated in a different way, noted Estrin. According to Estrin, there is not enough government funding going into crazy ideas, which are more commonly being funded by universities or large corporations.
This lack of financial support from government has also fostered a movement towards privatisation, with researchers seeking capital from wealthy individuals or foundations. Although Estrin acknowledged this as a viable option, she stressed the need for balance when it comes to other sources of funding. "Capital from private sponsors solves part of the problem but not the entire problem. It is very difficult for industry to provide the kind of funding needed for prolonged innovation."
"We do have a problem. That problem is the fact that we are missing a piece in the innovation system," she said. "If things don't change, we will not have the innovation we have today, which was built on work from 40 years ago."
According to Estrin, the issue is not that there is a lack of innovation. "The level of creativity and new ideas is phenomenal, but every one of those scientists and researchers is starving for money." One of the causes of this funding conundrum is the fact that innovators are increasingly becoming more interdisciplinary and no longer have niche specialities, she said. This is a good thing for science but it makes acquiring funding more complex.
"Funders can no longer fund in boxes. As such, funding distribution decisions have become more difficult."
Another unfortunate reality of the situation today is that pleas for funding from government are often met with questions about how the research will translate politically, said panellist and inventor Bill English, adding that this has had unfortunate implications for research and development.
One of the key benefits of investing in research labs is that they develop the scientists of the future, concluded Estrin. "The people trained in these institutions learn the value of scientific thinking and go out into the world as better innovators, leaders and problem solvers. It is not just about the ideas, it is about the people who carry those ideas out into the world."
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