Science, Technology, and the Federal Government National Goals for a New Era (1993) / Chapter Skim
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CHAPTER 4 THE FEDERAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT ANDADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 4 THE FEDERAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT ANDADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY
Pages 31-46
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From page 31... ...
However, the federal government has a long history of involvement in some matters affecting industrial technology. Through its support of research and development at universities, government laboratories, and industries, it has helped generate much of the new knowledge and educated people critical to industries at the cutting edge of technology.
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From page 32... ...
For commercial technologies, the federal government traditionally has chosen to support basic research and mission-driven research and to leave the development and application process largely to industry. In today's more competitive and technologically interdependent world, this approach may no longer be sufficient.
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From page 33... ...
The federal government should cooperate with the private sector to ensure that the United States maintains a position of technological leadership in those technologies that promise to have a major and continuing impact on broad areas of industrial and economic performance. The philosophy guiding this recommendation is that a large and diverse economy such as that of the United States should not allow technological backwardness to be the decisive factor in the loss or failure of important industries.
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From page 34... ...
Second, the United States needs to emphasize technologies for which the relevant firms have a demonstrated capacity to convert technology into a marketable product ; one indicator of such capacity is that such firms are already competing in global markets. Our most successful industries have the familiarity with changing world markets and the technical know-how needed to convert development ideas into products and services, and these industries should not founder because of a lack of technology.
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Therefore, as the federal government seeks to promote technological leadership more actively, it has available only
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From page 36... ...
For example, to promote technologies needed for national defense, the federal government will need to devote special attention to the growing number of national technologies that both serve civilian markets and have military importance. We do not attempt, in this document, to provide a detailed prescription for executing a federal technology policy.
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CREATING A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY Because the development and adoption of technology are largely private responsibilities, the most important task of the federal government remains that of creating an environment in which technology can flourish. Doing so is a complex challenge.
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From page 38... ...
When these considerations hinder the development of a new technology, a role for the federal government can make good sense. There is a strong argument for government involvement in important areas of technology that contribute to the technology goal enunciated above, but that are not aggressively pursued by private industry, even though the economic return to the nation as a whole may be great.
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From page 39... ...
On the other hand, the federal government has supported large projects that failed. It has spent billions of dollars on such technologies as the breeder reactor and synthetic fuel production that have fallen far short of their original ambitious aims.7 Some failures, of course, are inevitable.
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From page 40... ...
PRINCIPLES TO OBSERVE IN THE FEDERAL SUPPORT OF TECHNOLOGY Whatever routes the government chooses in its support of commercially promising research and development, it can increase the probability of success by following certain principles. Responsiveness to Market Signals First, federal efforts to support commercial technologies should be inspired by marketplace demands as interpreted by industry rather than by political or special-interest pressures.
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The federal government must also work with the private sector to reduce the costs, create
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The federal government and the states should establish a mechanism through which information can be exchanged to leverage federal resources through state and local activities.8
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Mastering a New Role: Shaping Technology Policy for National Economic Performance. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1993.
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Science,Technology, and the States in America's Third Century. New York: Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government, 1992.
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firms have demonstrated their ability to convert technology into marketable products, or should be based on national strategic considerations. Achieving this goal requires a new partnership between the federal government and the private sector.
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