When Freedom, Science and Innovation Meet

Science and innovation require freedom. At its heart, science is about the freedom to create, to understand and to challenge. The Council on Competitiveness's National Innovation Initiative was launched in 2003 to ensure that America's leadership remains strong, because freedom is not enough -- resources and education are also essential. Resources and education came together to produce more and more scientists and the resulting breakthroughs in the understanding and ability to manipulate nature. Problems are arising in this ideal world, however. Resources and priorities are among them, but more important is the very foundation that is highlighted, namely, freedom. The National Innovation Initiative is looking at all of these trends, first to understand the dynamics and then to recommend changes that address the problems.