Research institutions fuel state economy
BYLINE: Phil Bond, David Gollaher and Carl Guardino Special to The Bee
Scientific research in California is proof that you can have the best of both "green" worlds -- a strong economy with a healthy environment.
Recent technological innovations and discoveries flowing out of California's public research universities -- backed by state and industry funding -- are helping to keep our economy competitive, improve our health and safety, and find cleaner, more efficient solutions to our use of energy and natural resources.
These advances represent great returns of previous investments in California research, but we need to put more "green" into future "green research" initiatives to keep the momentum going.
With the $95 million California Research Initiative proposed by the governor and supported by many state legislators, the University of California could tackle many of the critical economic, energy and environmental issues that lie before us.
Our member organizations know these crucial research efforts have great potential to extend California's global dominance in research, development and delivery of new technologies for end users -- continuing California's long tradition of scientific advances that so often create new industries, keeping us competitive in an increasingly complex global marketplace.
The proposed funding would:
* Build and operate an Energy Biosciences Institute, which would be dedicated to long-term research into the production of alternative fuels.
* Construct the energy/nanotechnology research building for the Helios Project, which would create sustainable sources of energy by producing the next generation of superefficient solar energy technology to reduce greenhouse gases and oil dependency.
* Enhance UC's national bid to build the world's most powerful computer, which would generate an enormous competitive advantage to California businesses and universities, and attract the best students and faculty.
* Continue state support for the four California Institutes for Science and Innovation, based at UC campuses across the state. They focus on fields key to the future of California's economy, bringing together UC scientists and students with industry researchers to produce new knowledge and the next generation of highly skilled scientists and technological innovators.
Created in 2000, the institutes already are helping expand California's economy into new industries and markets and bringing the benefits of innovation more quickly into the lives of all Californians.
Among the major innovations already making their way into commercial markets are new ways of monitoring energy use and lowering it when prices or demand are high, saving us as much as $5 billion in energy costs and 4 million tons of carbon each year.
In Northern California, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) has already spawned an entirely new California-based industry in the manufacture and use of micro-miniature wireless sensors and networks to increase port and border security, monitor and reduce toxic waste and provide greater energy efficiency.
At the California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3), recent innovations include a new "smart pill" delivery system that can reduce treatment costs and make drugs safer and more effective.
In Southern California, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) has created innovative wireless technologies that help emergency responders cope with major disasters, and is reducing traffic congestion through a free wireless service that lets motorists call in for personalized commute information.
The California Nanosystems Institute is developing molecular computers that are much smaller and could be more powerful than today's silicon-based computers and a nanoscale membrane that can double the productivity of seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation with half the energy consumption.
State funding for the operational budgets of these institutes is essential to protect our already considerable investment in building the institutes and demonstrate the stability that federal agencies and industry partners look for places to invest their research dollars.
Nearly a half-billion federal dollars have been brought to California by these institutes in just five years, while the institutes' 275 partner companies -- from all sectors of the economy -- have invested over $200 million.
We are poised to extend California's global dominance in the area of research, development and delivery of new technologies for end users, which will provide incredible public benefit. However, the institutes need the operating funds to continue this work. We are counting on our legislators to give strong support for these vital research initiatives as the state budget process winds up over the next few weeks.
Phil Bond is president and CEO of the Information Technology Association of America. David Gollaher is president and CEO of the California Healthcare Institute. Carl Guardino is president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.