Hi. My name is Patrick Gallagher. I’m the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the Department of Commerce.  I’m here to talk to you about Chapter 3 in today’s Competes report, which talks about federal investments in research and development.

In an innovation economy nothing is more important than the generation of new ideas and research and development play a special role.  Most of the technologies that you and I know and that play an important role in our lives from GPS to computers to medical benefits, have all been derived from the investments we made originally in our federal government in basic research.

The report talks about ways that we can make this enterprise more effective. That includes increasing our investments in basic research at the federal level. It also includes creating incentives so that the private sector makes their investments in research as well.  It also talks about working together so that the entire research enterprise is efficient in taking ideas from our laboratories and translating them into products and services.

The investments we make in research and development today drive the business success and job creation of tomorrow.  The private and public sector must and can work together.  Together we are investing in America’s future and in the generations to come.