41 



It is a great part of the world. 



Senator Stevens. Well, I think we will talk to you about that, 

 because I have asked the chairman here and the chairman of our 

 full committee to come join me in that marine research. And I am 

 sure Senator Hollings could use some consultation from an expert. 

 [Laughter.] 



Senator Stevens. Thank you very much, gentlemen. 



Senator KERRY [presiding]. Senator Stevens, thank you very 

 much for taking over and covering for me. I appreciate it enor- 

 mously. 



Senator Pell, have you had an opportunity to make a statement? 



Senator Pell. I have had an opportunity to make my statement, 

 and I appreciate the hospitality of the committee very much, in- 

 deed. 



Senator Kerry. Gentlemen, I am not going to go back into all of 

 the areas that were covered. I gather from staff that you followed 

 your written testimony pretty well. In discussing the need for a 

 partnership between the Federal Government, academia, and the 

 private sector, how do you envision that working really at the ini- 

 tial stages of research, right up into the creation of high-technology 

 jobs? Is there any model that you would offer for how that might 

 work? 



Mr. Helms. Well, I might respond. I had made remarks when 

 you were out of the room that I think that is vital to have that 

 link. And I made the statement that if that link does not exist, that 

 maybe 50 to 75 percent of the work might be interesting but not 

 of economic value. And that Sea Grant has played this role and has 

 played it very well. 



I think that is the reason that it has worked for us, because that 

 link did exist between the scientific and the academic community 

 and the business community, which was us. And through Sea 

 Grant, the right type of R&D was done, the right type of develop- 

 ment was done. If it had not been done, we would not have a com- 

 pany. 



Senator Kerry. Dr. Burris, you talk about the disparity in the 

 amounts of money that go into marine biotechnology. And I think 

 you suggest that Japan is putting in $900 million to $1 billion. We 

 put in $40 million. But are those figures, apples-and-orange fig- 

 ures, in the sense that you are talking about public investment in 

 the United States, but I gather, both private and public sector in- 

 vestment in Japan? What would the funding level be in this coun- 

 try, combining the public and private sectors? 



Dr. Burris. Actually, if you look at research, and this is data 

 from 1991, and you look at the total research budget, the estimate 

 is that private industry contributes less than 7 percent of the total, 

 and the total is only about $44 million, so we are talking of a 

 vani shingly small investment. 



Senator Kerry. So, you are talking public and in private, $44 

 million is the total for both public and private investment? 



Dr. Burris. And that was 1991. It has gone up a few million dol- 

 lars since then, so let us err on the high side and say $50 million. 



Senator Kerry. Why is there not greater emphasis put on ma- 

 rine biotechnology in this country? Do you have an opinion? 



