The starting premise for the discussions at this National Interest conference was that the coupling of research and development (R&D) is, at least on paper, an inseparable one. Indeed, in any discipline, research – understood as human endeavor aimed at discovering or investigating objects, phenomena or processes using scientific methods – has a potential impact on society. Depending on the area of inquiry, the range of studies involved and who has commissioned the research, this effect may extend to the short, medium or long term, be measured on the basis of objectively observable indicators, and be linked to levels of education and the standard of higher education found in the system undertaking the research. Regardless of these variables, however, it was suggested that what all types of research have in common is their role in knowledge production, and, hence, as a catalyst for the cultural or economic growth of the communities concerned.
In addition to these general characteristics, it was noted that the public research sphere in particular has certain unique features, gauging the measure of which helps in assessing the state of health of any given country’s research system. These include the degree of independence from vested interests, the level of responsibility vis-à-vis the possible benefits to society, and the ability to shape the trajectory of the strategic choices and public policies of the country in question.
Applied specifically to the case of Italy, it was felt that an analysis of these three indicators, and their respective subcategories, paints a mixed picture overall, but one which nevertheless tends to be at variance with the commonplace views that sometimes end up informing public debate on this issue. Indeed, notwithstanding much journalistic conjecture, Italy’s research industry as a whole is notable as one of exceptional standard, placing Italy among the top ten countries in the relevant international rankings. Driving this good performance in the main – it was observed – have been the efforts of certain laboratories and centers of excellence, whose competitiveness is down to a mix of factors linked closely to an optimum system of governance and management, and the adoption of a project-oriented approach hinged on scrupulous monitoring and evaluation of results, international partnerships, and enhancing the value of human capital, both by means of improved recruitment practices and the provision of career progression prospects for researchers.
Naturally, countervailing these indubitable determinants of competitive advantage – which may be seen as falling under the general heading of the Italian public research system’s independence in substance from vested interests, but are especially typical of certain centers of excellence – are problems and weaknesses only partly attributable to the link with universities and to a cumbersome academic system. Weighing heavily, in particular, is a now chronic lack of resources, both in terms of the funding available for individual research projects and the salary packages offered to researchers, labored (and all too often non-existent) relations with industry, but also, above all, major difficulty in coordinating with political decision makers regarding anything to do with having research-related issues incorporated into the nation’s economic strategy.
Put more simply, the participants were of the view that what has been lacking in Italy in recent years – and what, in contrast, has heavily imbued the approach of EU public policies pertaining to this area, especially those connected to programs dealing with research – is an awareness of the extent to which, in an age of globalization and technological revolution, the nexus between research and development is inseverable and constitutes a driving force for competitiveness in modern knowledge economies. It was stressed, in conclusion, that such an awareness should underpin any proposal to bolster Italian research, particularly of a scientific nature. Possible measures suggested included the introduction of incentives to attract foreign talent, the establishment of inter-ministerial working parties to coordinate and rationalize support measures for research in pursuit of the national interest, reform of the rules regarding the legal entitlements flowing from the holding of an educational qualification, and specific initiatives to promote greater synergy between the academic, research and business worlds.