In his State of the Union Address Tuesday evening, and in a speech at the 3M headquarters in Minnesota Thursday, President Bush outlined a plan to keep America intellectually competitive on a global front. He said in the State of the Union address,

“…to keep America competitive, one commitment is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hardworking, ambitious people — and we’re going to keep that edge.”

To achieve this goal, President Bush announced his plans for the American Competitiveness Initiative, a three-pronged program focusing on science and research. First, President Bush is doubling the Federal contributions to physical science research over the next 10 years. Second, he proposed a research and development tax credit, to encourage technology advancements in the private sector. The third tactic, and possibly the most necessary is an overhaul of the math and science programs in America’s K-12 schools.

In the State of the Union Address President Bush said, “If we ensure that America’s children succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.”

Though the discussion of innovation was only a fraction of the President’s speech, it leaves me very optimistic. It may not be at the top of his docket, but at least the federal government is beginning to take a serious look at our country on the global innovation scale. The American Competitiveness Initiative, though broad and ambitious, is the first step. If President Bush makes a concerted effort to improve science and math programs in our schools that alone will improve American innovation.

–Erin [erin.canty@brainreactions.com]

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