3 ms·
Well, historically, we used to have a robust industrial R&D that even did basic research: Bell Labs (astrophysics, semiconductor physics), IBM, Xerox, RCA, Koda
by h3lp 1y ago
Well, historically, we used to have a robust industrial R&D that even did basic research: Bell Labs (astrophysics, semiconductor physics), IBM, Xerox, RCA, Kodak and many other; even Ford had an R&D lab with physicists. Their record was quite impressive, as we all know.
The weird trick that made that work was a tax policy that supported that. IIRC, R&D was expense as opposed to amortization, together with a laxer trust regime that allowed large profits that could pay for all that.
- whatshisface 1y agoThose are postwar examples, which occurred in unison with the academic funding boom, the space race, etc. The way it worked was you'd have public funding for basic facts ("aluminum is 2.7 times denser than water"), and then scientists would be hired by companies to apply those facts. The revenue model doesn't work out for monetizing basic facts, so to have an advanced industry you need both systems of funding.
- vmchale 1y agoXerox was when the US was on the up-trend, not committing economic suicide at the whim of a mad king.
- const_cast 1y agoWell all those companies are dead now... so... clearly spending all that money on research didn't really pan out for them.