Needed: technology investment

The deteriorating state of science and technology expertise in the United States is the focus of a report issued October 12 by the National Academies. The congressionally requested report—written by a 20-member committee that included university presidents, CEOs, Nobel Prize winners, and former presidential appointees—notes that for the price of one engineer in the US, a company can hire 11 engineers in India.

Perhaps it's not surprising then that last year in India, 350,000 engineers graduated from institutions of higher education, while only about 70,000 did so in the US. In China, the figure was more than 600,000.

Here are some other facts cited in the report:

• In 1999, only 41% of US eighth-graders had a math teacher who had majored in mathematics at the undergraduate or graduate level or studied the subject for teacher certification.
• US 12th-graders recently performed below the international average for 21 countries on a test of general knowledge in mathematics and science.
• In 2001, US industry spent more on tort litigation than on research and development.

The potential consequences are dire. Committee chair Norman R. Augustine, retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, stated, "The building blocks of our economic leadership are wearing away. The challenges that America faces are immense."

The report does offer some helpful suggestions (short of recommending that all Americans prepare for law careers):

• Provide four-year scholarships to help top students obtain bachelor's degrees in science, engineering, or mathematics, coupled with a commitment to work for five years in public schools.
• Increase the national investment in basic research by 10% each year over the next seven years.
• Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the US and abroad.
• Establish an organization called the "Advanced Research Project Agency—Energy" that sponsors research to meet the nation's long-term energy challenges.
• Modernize the US patent system, realign tax policies to encourage innovation, and ensure affordable broadband Internet access.

All of these steps will require investment up front. Let's hope the political will can be found to make that investment. Without it, American engineers will have trouble achieving productivity levels that justify an 1100% salary premium.