What is the role of capital investments in economies that have evolved to a stage where highly impactful cognitive inputs are prized at ever-increasing premiums

What is the role of capital investments in economies that have evolved to a stage where highly impactful cognitive inputs are prized at ever-increasing premiums? SMEE and ASML lithography platforms differ not because one threw more capital investments at it than the other. This singular focus upon capital investments and capital flow (especially when it comes to share buyback machinations) in modern management finance practice reveals a "fight the last war" orientation. Appropriate capital investment table stakes, now. Innovation isn't a machine you put capital investment tokens into until you get a breakthrough.