Coleman attends innovation summit

President Mary Sue Coleman was one of more than 50 corporate CEOs and university presidents to attend a National Summit on Innovation held last week at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Sparked by numerous reports indicating America potentially is falling behind other nations in its ability to compete globally, the conference included meetings involving CEOs, higher education leaders and key members of the President George Bush's cabinet. They met in private sessions to discuss how America should respond to the innovation challenge.

Coleman told the group the federal government needs to be more willing to fund higher-risk research in order to benefit the nation.

"Under the current peer review system, you almost have to know the outcome of the work in advance in order to get funded," Coleman said. "We should not be afraid of failures. Through riskier research, we will see the breakthroughs in technology we seek."

The daylong session focused on the themes of revitalizing fundamental research, expanding the talent pool of skilled workers and making sure the United States continues to lead the world in advanced technology.

Coleman helped write a report one year ago by the Council on Competitiveness—a coalition of higher education leaders, business and labor CEOs— that made numerous recommendations for improving American competitiveness and innovation. A number of those recommendations soon will be introduced into legislation in the Senate.

Among the Congressional leaders in attendance was Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids), who helped create the conference. Also participating were Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon and former Michigan Gov. John Engler, who now heads the National Association of Manufacturers.

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