A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Brookings Institution suggests that a new National Innovation Foundation could do a better job of structuring key Federal agencies to support innovation. The study recommends that a newly created National Innovation Foundation serve as the Federal government’s primary support mechanism and point of contact for issues related to innovation. The report proposes three possible structures for a new NIF: housed within the Commerce Department; a publicly-sponsored corporation similar to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and, as an independent federal agency like the National Science Foundation. Regardless of the final structure, the NIF would seek to:
Catalyze industry-university research partnerships through national sector research grants.
Expand regional innovation-promotion through state-level grants to fund activities like technology commercialization and entrepreneurial support.
Encourage technology adoption by assisting small and mid-sized firms in implementing best-practice processes and organizational forms that they do not currently use.
Support regional industry clusters with grants for cluster development.
Emphasize performance and accountability by measuring and researching innovation, productivity, and the value-added to firms from NIF assistance.
Champion innovation by promoting innovation policy within the federal government and serving as an expert resource on innovation to other agencies.
It is anticipated that legislation will soon be introduced in the Senate. This promises to kick-off a new round of discussion about how big a role the Federal government could or should play in unleashing America’s innovation capacity.
Download the April 2008 report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, Boosting Productivity, Innovation and Growth through a National Innovation Foundation, by Robert Atkinson and Howard Wial.
© 2008 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
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