Civilian science agencies "are ill-structured to create and sustain essential links between knowledge generation, technological innovation and desired social outcomes" and need to emulate the attributes of the Dept. of Defense: "its focused mission, enduring ties to the private sector and role as an early customer for advanced technologies" if the U.S. is going to "transform its science enterprise to enhance links between research and its application to national needs."
These are the conclusions of Daniel Sarewitz, co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University, who is based in Washington DC, in a recent op-ed in Nature. [photo credit, Breakthrough Institute]
Dan is a geoscientist and contrarian/iconoclast who repeatedly causes me to stop and rethink established paradigms. He's doing it again.
One of the comments to his column suggested that Dan's argument would essentially establish an industrial policy approach, which is a major shift in thinking. And one worth further discussion.