American scientific leaders have shrunk in the past ten years as China, South Korea, and other countries increase their innovation capabilities and close the gap. This data is derived from a National Science Board report titled Science and Engineering Indicators. According to the report’s authors, Asia now accounts for a greater share of world research and development (R&D), than the United States. However, China performs almost as much high-tech manufacturing globally as the U.S. The biennial report shows clearly that Japan, Europe, and the US are not the only ones in the R&D field. Since 2001, America’s share of global R&D has fallen from 30% to 26%, while Europe’s declined from 26% to 22%. Since 2001, Asian countries’ share of global R&D increased from 25% to 34%, with China growing from 4% to 15%. American scientific leadership gradually giving way to Asia NSB Chairman Dan Arvizu, who is also the director and chief executive of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said: “The first decade of the 21st century continues a dramatic shift in the global scientific landscape. The emerging economies are becoming more aware of the importance science and innovation plays in global markets and economic competitiveness. They have increased their R&D through significant investments in their science and tech (S&T), research companies and S&T education at colleges. Between 1995 & 2008, the number of Chinese researchers increased by threefold. In South Korea, however it doubled from 1995 to . There are excellent opportunities for students from South Korea and China to pursue advanced science education and find employment in the home. These emerging economies have made smart investments in R&D. They have not only invested in research and teaching businesses, but they also focused their efforts on key sectors such as clean energy, high-tech manufacturing, and renewable energies. China’s high-tech manufacturing volume grew nearly six-fold between 2003 and 2012, increasing its global share of high-tech manufacturing to 24% from 8%, biting at the heels of the US’ 27%. The emerging economies are investing more in clean energy today than advanced countries. This is a crucial industry that will be vital for the 21st century. They invested 2012 nearly $100 trillion in clean energy. Most of this investment was made by wind and solar, while $61 billion came from China. On the contrary, US only spent $29 trillion in clean energy in 2012.. Over four-fifths (45%) of global R&D is performed at home by parent companies of multinational American corporations. These companies are investing in R&D in China, India and Brazil, and this is reflected and contributing to an increasingly global R&D environment. The NSB released a statement saying that “majority-owned foreign associates of U.S. MNCs” saw a sharp decline in US R&D after the Great Recession 2009. This is the most important source of research and development in the United States. The Great Recession saw a temporary increase in Federal R&D funding via the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This helped partially offset the decrease in R&D activities. The authors have compiled extensive data and analysed it to show that the US is doing better after the Great Recession than other advanced countries. After inflation adjustment, 2011, US R&D has returned to 2008 levels. S&T graduates and workers did better in the recession than those working in other areas of the economy. The NSB stated that the report today did not include the time when Federal R&D funding was reduced sharply due to sequestration. According to the National Science Foundation, Federal R&D funding declined each year since 2010, with a drop of 7.1 percent for fiscal year 2013.”. The recovery by the US high-tech industry has been rapid in the wake of the recession. They have performed better than other wealthy nations. The value-added output from the US high-tech industry grew 2010-2012,, surpassing pre-recession levels. This is in contrast to Japan and the European Union. The E.U. saw a sharp decline in commercial investments in clean energy technology. The NSB said that the NSB had not seen a return to pre-downturn levels of investment in clean energy technology since the start of the recession. Ray Bowen (NSB member and chair of its Committee on Science and Engineering Indicators), which oversees the development of this report, stated that “The United States is still the leader in science and tech.” There are many indicators that show how fast the world is changing, and how other countries are challenging our dominance. “We cannot afford to stop improving our innovation capabilities as other countries are focusing on their science and technology. Today’s world is more competitive than it was a generation ago.
American Scientific Leadership is shrinking
