Congressman Wolf at October TechDonuts: Communicating the Need for Innovation
Congressman Frank Wolf was the featured speaker at the TechDonuts meeting hosted by the NVTC Entrepreneur Center last week. He spoke at length about his concerns about the future competitiveness of American industry. He talked about the shortage of native-born students in the engineering and sciences programs. He spoke about asking a group of scientist what they believed was the current state of science and innovation in America. None of the scientists replied that we were doing okay. About forty percent said we were in a stall and the remainder said we were in decline. [1]
The Congressman also said that many Americans are unaware of this trend. During the Q&A portion of the program, I asked the panel what we could do to get the word out to the American people at large. One of the panel members did not feel that there was a problem. I then recounted a conversation I had with a foreign businessperson about the competitiveness of U.S. companies in the mobile phone industry. The foreign businessperson said some of his colleagues feel that American companies are so far behind that it is funny.
One of the other panelists chimed in that he had heard that comment before from other foreign businesspeople. He also said that foreign businesspeople are starting to poach American students with advanced degrees. The businesspeople ask students with ethnic ties to Europe, if they wouldn’t be happier returning to Europe to start their careers. In fact, one of the audience members said the Chinese have a term for it: Sea Turtles. A sea turtle is a Chinese national who studies abroad then comes home to have their children and start their businesses.
Congressman Wolf highlighted once again the need to fire up the engines of innovation in Northern Virginia. There is a need to show the world that the people in Northern Virginia have what it takes to compete in the global market place. There is a need to show that we have the will to maintain our standard of living for ourselves and future generations.
[1] This statement was also made during the announcement of the National Innovation Summit.
The Congressman also said that many Americans are unaware of this trend. During the Q&A portion of the program, I asked the panel what we could do to get the word out to the American people at large. One of the panel members did not feel that there was a problem. I then recounted a conversation I had with a foreign businessperson about the competitiveness of U.S. companies in the mobile phone industry. The foreign businessperson said some of his colleagues feel that American companies are so far behind that it is funny.
One of the other panelists chimed in that he had heard that comment before from other foreign businesspeople. He also said that foreign businesspeople are starting to poach American students with advanced degrees. The businesspeople ask students with ethnic ties to Europe, if they wouldn’t be happier returning to Europe to start their careers. In fact, one of the audience members said the Chinese have a term for it: Sea Turtles. A sea turtle is a Chinese national who studies abroad then comes home to have their children and start their businesses.
Congressman Wolf highlighted once again the need to fire up the engines of innovation in Northern Virginia. There is a need to show the world that the people in Northern Virginia have what it takes to compete in the global market place. There is a need to show that we have the will to maintain our standard of living for ourselves and future generations.
[1] This statement was also made during the announcement of the National Innovation Summit.
posted by The IT Investment Architect at 10/17/2005 05:45:00 PM
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