235 



So, in a very direct way, we have shown others that the most 

 promising route to economic growth and prosperity in the late 20th 

 century Hes in scientific and technical knowledge and its applica- 

 tion. In a very real sense, we have been the inspiration and even 

 the benefactor of the growing industrial development that we now 

 see throughout the world. 



A number of examples come readily to mind including, of course, 

 the way Japan studied us and very successfully used the emerging 

 tools of technology to fuel their own economic boom. But the exam- 

 ple that I find most intriguing, and perhaps of most pertinence to 

 the discussions here today, is the People's Republic of China. 



In spite of the fundamentally different philosophies of govern- 

 ment that guide our two nations, we have found a strong mutual 

 bond in science and technology. Over the past 10 years, that shared 

 interest in both basic research and in how technology can speed in- 

 dustrial modernization has been the essential basis on which we 

 have steadily narrowed the gap between countries and dramatical- 

 ly improved relations. 



What I find fascinating about the two examples of Japan and 

 China is that they remind us that today it hardly matters what the 

 stage of a country's development is; all agree that science and tech- 

 nology are major factors in determining their economic future. 



And that is not to say that all nations embrace technology to the 

 same degree. Obviously, technology also brings change, and we are 

 coming to realize that a key issue before us all is how nations are 

 going to cope with and manage the changes being made possible, 

 and being thrust upon them, by this science and technology revolu- 

 tion. 



I saw an example of that very directly last week when I had a 

 chance to meet with various industrial and scientific groups in 

 Brazil. In fact, I had the opportunity there to address the Brazilian 

 counterpart to this committee and was intrigued to hear their 

 strong interest in many of the same things we talk about here, 

 such as stronger support for basic research and improved universi- 

 ty-industry relations. 



I came away with a strong impression that they, like so many 

 other developing countries, see their futures clearly tied to progress 

 in science and technology. 



Interestingly, that is not necessarily the case in the most indus- 

 trialized nations. For example, much of Europe is as fearful of the 

 impacts of new technology on its frightening unemployment prob- 

 lems as it is hopeful that new technology is the answer to lagging 

 economic growth. 



Meanwhile, a country like Japan is beginning to worry about its 

 still weak science infrastructure and the possibility that it won't be 

 able to sustain its technological brilliance unless it also develops 

 stronger science. 



Nor have we in the United States gone through the changes of 

 these recent years untouched. Even while rebuilding our science 

 base through increased Federal support for basic research, we have 

 been concerned about the weakened institutional ties among the 

 institutions that do R&D — and by that I mean the universities, in- 

 dustry, and Federal laboratories — and struggling to find ways to 



