Why George Bush Needs a Technology Czar (Apr. 15, 2005 Issue of CIO Magazine)

Look, more people talking about the U.S. falling behind in the R&D and engineering race.

Forty-one percent of the 402 CIOs surveyed predicted that the United States would no longer be the world's technology innovation leader 15 years from now. And 60 percent of these respondents said they would like to see the federal government institute a coherent technology policy that sets specific goals for areas such as Internet access, cybersecurity, spam, and research and training.

...

These CIOs and other technology and government experts conclude that in order for the United States to maintain its global leadership position in technology innovation, the nation needs a technology czar. This key official would buttress the nation's innovation process by doing three things: developing a strategic plan for technology in the United States, serving as a portfolio manager for government-sponsored R&D projects and coordinating technology policy across governmental agencies. The technology czar would fill a gap created by individual agencies that have their own agendas and R&D budgets.

...

While recent presidents have demonstrated varying levels of commitment to science and technology, none has pursued policies that would weave these pieces together into a single innovation ecosystem. The result, says Kelly, is that "we are coasting on a previous generation of solid investment." And the wear is beginning to show. Consider the following:

Government R&D funding as a percentage of GDP is at an all-time low. Not only did the National Science Foundation suffer a budget cut in 2005, but President Bush's deficit reduction plan will cut the R&D budgets of other agencies over the next several years.

Private-sector R&D investment dropped by $8 billion in 2002, the largest one-year decline in nearly 50 years.

The number of students pursuing science and engineering PhDs has been in decline since 1998, and only 5 percent of U.S. college students graduate with engineering degrees.

These trends could be fatal to U.S. innovation supremacy and future economic prosperity, says Gregory Tassey, the senior economist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is part of the Commerce Department.

...

In contrast, other countries, particularly developing countries in Asia, have aggressively pursued national technology policies that receive support at the highest levels of government.

...

In China, 39 percent of all college students graduate with engineering degrees. (For more on China's technology policy, see "The Great Leap Forward".) This year Chinese and Indian universities will produce about 320,000 engineers, more than five times the number in the United States.