The role of Science in New The role of Science in New Zealand’ ’s Innovative Future s Innovative Future Zealand Jacqueline Rowarth Jacqueline Rowarth Director, Office for Environmental Programs Director, Office for Environmental Programs University of Melbourne University of Melbourne
Rate of return to research Rate of return to research Years Annual rate (% ) Years Annual rate (% ) 8 66 8 66 16 39 16 39 23 30 23 30 29 15 29 15
Shortfall in scientific and Shortfall in scientific and engineering workforce engineering workforce � Australia Australia 75,000 75,000 � � Britain Britain 700,000 700,000 � � China China 850,000 850,000 �
Reasons Reasons � Social Social � � Environmental Environmental � � Economic Economic � � Knowledge Knowledge- -gaining gaining �
Vision Vision ‘a small, clever country with one of the a small, clever country with one of the ‘ highest sustainable qualities of life in the highest sustainable qualities of life in the world, environmentally, socially and world, environmentally, socially and economically’ ’. . economically � Productive and sustainable Productive and sustainable � � Adding value Adding value � � Creating lifestyle Creating lifestyle �
Picking winners � Picking winners � Near to market � Near to market � Short term � Short term �
Mathematics of Innovation Mathematics of Innovation � 1 or 2 to market success 1 or 2 to market success � � 10 venture capital 10 venture capital � � 100 initial investment 100 initial investment � � 1000 nascent business 1000 nascent business plans plans � � Gary Hamel, Fortune July 2001 Gary Hamel, Fortune July 2001 �
� Research Research $1 discovery $1 discovery � � Development Development $10 $10 � � Commercialisation Commercialisation $100 $100 �
What is the case for What is the case for public R&D funding? public R&D funding?
What is the case for public What is the case for public R&D funding? R&D funding? � Advancement of knowledge Advancement of knowledge � � Participation in international community Participation in international community � � Economic benefits Economic benefits �
What is the case for public What is the case for public R&D funding? R&D funding? � Advancement of knowledge Advancement of knowledge � � Participation in international community Participation in international community � � Economic benefits Economic benefits � Most of the benefit of research is felt by the Most of the benefit of research is felt by the public at large. This causes the private sector public at large. This causes the private sector to under- -invest invest. . to under The Economist The Economist
Reasons Reasons New wealth & economic growth New wealth & economic growth 1. 1. Creates technology for innovation Creates technology for innovation 2. 2. Recruitment of high quality people Recruitment of high quality people 3. 3. Serendipitous discoveries Serendipitous discoveries 4. 4. International participation International participation 5. 5. Spin off benefits Spin off benefits 6. 6.
Does the present system work? Does the present system work? � Market failure Market failure � � Proliferation of funding pools Proliferation of funding pools � � Discipline Discipline � � Recruitment Recruitment � � Economic growth Economic growth �
Proliferation Proliferation � > 50 sources of money > 50 sources of money � � Confusion Confusion � � Time bidding Time bidding � � Potential overlap Potential overlap �
Discipline Discipline � Biosecurity Biosecurity � � Soil Science Soil Science �
Discipline Discipline � Biosecurity Biosecurity � � Soil Science Soil Science � � Population increase Population increase � � Climate change Climate change � � Biosecurity Biosecurity failure failure � � Intensification of land use Intensification of land use � � Customer preference Customer preference �
Recruitment: Recruitment: R&D researchers per 1000 total employment R&D researchers per 1000 total employment � Finland Finland 16 16 � � Sweden Sweden 11 11 � � Japan Japan 10 10 � � United States United States 9 9 � � New Zealand New Zealand 7 7 � � United Kingdom United Kingdom 6 6 � � Economic Union Economic Union 6 6 �
Recruitment: Recruitment: science and engineering graduates science and engineering graduates � Finland Finland 28 28 � � Sweden Sweden 31 31 � � Japan Japan 26 26 � � United States United States 17 17 � � New Zealand New Zealand 19 19 � � United Kingdom United Kingdom 29 29 � � Economic Union Economic Union 27 27 �
Issues Issues � Insecurity Insecurity � � Generation change Generation change � � Student loan Student loan � � Salary Salary � � Trust Trust �
Salaries Salaries � Solicitor Solicitor $50,000- -200,000+ 200,000+ $50,000 � � Computing Services Computing Services $50,000- -150,000+ 150,000+ $50,000 � � Systems analyst Systems analyst $50,000- -100,000+ 100,000+ $50,000 � � Management accountant Management accountant $40,000- -100,000 100,000 $40,000 � � Industrial chemist Industrial chemist $40,000- -100,000 100,000 $40,000 � � Road engineer Road engineer $35,000- -80,000 80,000 $35,000 � � Environmental scientist Environmental scientist $30,000- -80,000 80,000 $30,000 � � Forestry scientist Forestry scientist $30,000- -45,000 45,000 $30,000 �
Trust Trust
Trust Trust New era – – the dawn of the dawn of McScience McScience New era Everybody is compromised Everybody is compromised Everybody is an expert Everybody is an expert
‘Nullius in Verba Nullius in Verba’ ’ ‘ has become has become ‘listen to everyone listen to everyone’ ’ ‘
The Challenge The Challenge � Accessibility Accessibility � � Inclusion Inclusion � � Dialogue Dialogue �
Does the present system work? Does the present system work? � Market failure Market failure � � Proliferation of funding pools Proliferation of funding pools � � Discipline Discipline � � Recruitment Recruitment � � Economic growth Economic growth �
Economic growth… … Economic growth 2 = 0.80) to the is closely related (R 2 …is closely related (R = 0.80) to the … number of scientists and engineers in number of scientists and engineers in the workforce the workforce Porter and Stern 2001 Porter and Stern 2001
80 Ranking capacity to create wealth from 70 y = 0.8942x + 3.8076 2 = 0.7997 R 60 50 innovation 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 Ranking science and engineers in work force
Are there better ways for Are there better ways for allocating the funding? allocating the funding?
I s it going to priority areas at I s it going to priority areas at present? present? � Biotechnology Biotechnology � � IT IT � � Creative and performing arts Creative and performing arts �
How are those areas How are those areas identified? identified?
Does NZ have the absorptive Does NZ have the absorptive capacity to capture, adapt and capacity to capture, adapt and incorporate new knowledge incorporate new knowledge generated offshore? generated offshore?
How critical is public funding How critical is public funding as a complementary activity to as a complementary activity to private funding? private funding?
Do we get more private Do we get more private funding as a result of the funding as a result of the expanded basic knowledge expanded basic knowledge base which is generated by base which is generated by public investment? public investment?
Should the allocation of public Should the allocation of public funding be based on concerns funding be based on concerns for commercial application or for commercial application or should it concentrate on ‘ ‘basic basic’ ’ should it concentrate on science and let the private science and let the private sector worry about what to sector worry about what to apply it to? apply it to?
What is the role of the What is the role of the Universities versus the CRI s CRI s Universities versus the � Add the levy bodies Add the levy bodies �
� Universities Universities � � CRIs CRIs � � Levy Bodies Levy Bodies � � Industry Industry �
The role of Science in New The role of Science in New Zealand’ ’s Innovative Future s Innovative Future Zealand
The role of Science in New The role of Science in New Zealand’ ’s Innovative Future s Innovative Future Zealand It is the future It is the future
Good things take time Good things take time
Good things take time Good things take time and and Luck has nothing to do with it Luck has nothing to do with it
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