America must invest in education, science to compete with the rest of the world

By MICHAEL HICKEY

First published: Sunday, July 3, 2005

We are long overdue for a wake-up call: America's leadership in technology is at risk. In February, AeA, formerly the American Electronics Association and the largest U.S. high-tech trade association, released the report "Losing the Competitive Advantage?''

The report focuses on competitiveness variables that, taken in isolation, may be easy to brush aside. But the cumulative effect of these trends is compelling: The status quo is unsustainable.

Even if the United States were doing everything right, we still face unprecedented challenges from a world that has caught on and is catching up.  But we are not doing everything right, not by a long shot.

We are already seeing the evidence of decline, precipitated by three gathering trends: an increasingly ill-prepared domestic workforce; a steadily depleting stock of high-skilled and educated foreigners; and an aging population. The perfect storm, so to speak. Our high school seniors rank at or near the bottom in comparable math and science scores worldwide. Our universities are not graduating enough scientists and engineers to support growth in the high-tech industry.

We need to open our eyes to what's happening around the world. The good news is: Many countries have listened to America's cajoling to adopt free markets and have opened their economies to our products and services.

So what is the problem for the United States? Many countries listened. China, India and many others aggressively compete against the United States for jobs, talent, and innovation -- or soon will. Leading the world in science and technology is not our manifest destiny. We have to constantly work at it. This includes rededicating ourselves to technologies that will advance our society 10, 20, even 40 years from now.

The key is research and development, beginning at the federal level. The Internet, Doppler radar and GPS -- to name a few -- were born of federally funded research. Yet, since 1985 this funding has declined as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product and priorities have shifted away from technology-related R&D. Federal funding supports ideas whose commercial viability is often years away, but when that viability hits, it provides life-enhancing products and industries unimaginable when the research began.

We also have to renew our commitment to technical education and shatter the stereotype that science and engineering are only for geeks. Our competitors don't hold this attitude and are churning out engineers at a far greater pace than the United States. In fact, as fewer of our best and brightest students opt to major in math and science, there will be a crisis that will be felt all too soon.

The sobering reality is that the United States is no longer the unquestioned leader in science and technology. The percentage of Americans graduating with a degree in the sciences -- let alone joining the field -- is less than half that of their counterparts in other countries. The United States has slipped to sixth internationally in the number of engineering degrees awarded annually. We rank 11th in broadband pervasiveness and 42nd in the use of cellphones. Many experts consider the top technical university in the world to be not MIT, Stanford or Berkeley, but the Indian Institute of Technology in Bangalore.

Historically, America has been brilliant at innovation. We have been the unrivaled leader in sparking the innovations that fuel economic growth and wealth creation. But that lead is slipping fast. Confronting the issues that threaten U.S. competitiveness can no longer be deferred.

The emerging technology sector centered right here in New York's Tech Valley region is primed to gain substantially or lose big as the global technology market intensifies. Let's not let U.S. competitiveness decline, taking us down with it.

Ask your senators and representatives in Congress what they are doing about the issue. This is a multidimensional issue impacted by the limitation of foreign students being accepted to U.S. universities and colleges post-9/11; the lack of funding for R&D; and the need to dramatically increase funding for math and science programs.

Also, let's encourage our children to investigate careers in technology and consider getting involved locally with our schools to facilitate more emphasis on science and math curricula.

This is not a problem with a short-term solution, and the longer we wait the more difficult it will be to address this growing concern. The time to act is now to ensure that our children and our children's children enjoy the benefits of technology leadership as we have in our lifetime.

Michael Hickey is Chief Operating Officer of MapInfo Corporation of Troy, New York.