The United States has been a world leader in scientific research and innovation, but now finds itself losing ground to other nations (read: Asia) that are putting American economic strength at risk.
That's the conclusion of this recent seventeen-page report in pdf format from the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, a group of industry and higher-ed representatives lobbying to increase government spending in the physical sciences, math, and engineering. Formed in 2004, the Task Force promotes increased research budgets for the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Defense.
The report lists a number of areas where the United States is losing ground. In education, for example, the share of worldwide undergraduate science and engineering degrees awarded by U.S. universities has dropped to around 500,000 annually, while S&E degrees awarded by Asian universities top 1.2 million. And China now rivals the United States as an attractive destination for foreign capital.
"The United States still leads the world in research and discovery, but our advantage is rapidly eroding, and our global competitors may soon overtake us," the report concludes.
The numbers presented here aren't all that fresh—many go back to studies you may already be familiar with from earlier decades—but the report presents a good executive summary of the main issues and trouble areas.
Clearly the companies and organizations that support the task force—a group including Intel and Microsoft, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Science Coalition—have a serious financial stake in encouraging more federal spending. But they also have informed views on innovation and global competition that are worth studying.