The U.S. government spends about 0.7 percent of GDP on scientific research and development, down from 2 percent in the 1960s. Less investment means fewer chances for breakthroughs like the weapon-seeking robots that saved thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and created a new consumer products category. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on an effort to jump-start public R&D.
This segment aired on August 29th, 2019 and features:
Jump-Starting America
Authors Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson
iRobot, the robotics company based in Bedford, Massachusetts
Colin Angle, iRobot CEO
AIM Photonics Institute, a public-private partnership and part of the Manufacturing USA network
Terry Clas, former Kodak executive
Yasaman Soudagar, Founder and CEO at Neurescence Inc.
