this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
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I would go further: the idea that great research comes out of the private sector is a myth perpetuated by self-aggrandizing corporate heads. Even most AI research is the result of decades of academic work on cognitive science coming out of universities. (The big exception is transformer technology coming out of Google.) mRNA vaccines are based on publicly funded university research too. All the tech in smartphones like GPS and wifi comes from publicly funded research. The fact is, science works best when it’s open and publicly accountable, which is why things like peer review exist. Privatized knowledge generation is at a disadvantage compared to everyone openly working together.
The private sector is very good at the consumer facing portion of innovation, like user experience, graphical interfaces, and design. But the core technologies, with rare exception, almost never came out of the Silicon Valley.
You seem to know things and I'm curious, I have it in my head that it's somewhat typical for university researchers to be able to profit off their own research by spinning up startups and whatnot. My recollection is the university typically has a contractual right to a cut of that. I don't remember if that is common, or just something in the drug research kind of sector, or if my understanding of research is based more on the Ghostbusters movie.
I agree with everything you said though.
Typically, universities own the patents to any ideas developed using university resources, including the research work one does as a professor. The university can also give a cut to professors.