Can US Remain Inventive?

President Bush in his 2004 State of the Union address confronted the issue of how the United States can educate its children to be competitive in a world-wide technology. A recent Lemelson-MIT Invention Index also raised concerns about whether future generations of Americans will have the technical skills and ingenuity to continue solving societal problems through invention.

When asked how globally competitive the United States will be 10 years from now in terms of invention, more than half of the adults (57%) and teens (55%) surveyed said America will be losing ground to other countries.

These perceptions support preliminary observations from a recent Lemelson-MIT Program workshop on intellectual property, which found that foreign entities are likely to receive more U.S. patents within the next few years than American entities.

The Lemelson-MIT Invention Index also found that most Americans believe the responsibility for encouraging invention and innovation right now falls equally to industry (26%) and universities (26%). Slightly fewer (21%) Americans thought the responsibility lies with primary schools. Only 14% said government plays a role.

"We need to figure out ways to better prepare and encourage future generations of Americans to invent," the Lemelson-MIT Program's Flemings said. "Innovation can only flourish in a supportive society. The Invention Index alludes to the risks our culture faces if we neglect to support and embrace inventors and their contributions."

In April 2004, the Lemelson-MIT Program will host the first-ever Invention Assembly where leaders from industry, academia and government will explore new ways to nurture an inventive culture.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM

The Lemelson-MIT Program provides the resources and inspiration to make invention and innovation more accessible to today's youth. It accomplishes this mission through outreach activities and annual awards, including the world's largest prize for invention - the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize.

The Lemelson-MIT Program was founded in 1994 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the world's most prolific inventors, and his wife, Dorothy. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation, a private philanthropy committed to honoring the contributions of inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs and to inspiring ingenuity in others. More information on the Lemelson-MIT Program can be found at http://web.mit.edu/invent.