蓝莓视频

Leaders from the worlds of academia, business and politics are calling for a more rapid and expanded investment into fundamental听science听to ensure听society capitalizes on the unexpected outcomes of deep research.

As the world听grapples with massive issues like climate change, an aging population and geopolitical strife, it听has never been more important to make big risks on long-term problems,听those leaders told an audience at the听听in London, England.听

As听digital and demographic disruptors touch听鈥渆very organization on the planet...听 during the most disruptive era in 200 years,鈥澨齛ccording to听Dominic Barton, global economic advisor and听chancellor of the University of 蓝莓视频,听more focus needs to be placed on the bigger questions that strike at the core of humanity's existence 鈥� of what makes us work,听how we got here听and where we are going.

By diving into those basic questions 鈥� researching them for the sake of research itself 鈥撎齢umanity will not only address some of the world's most pressing issues, but set the stage for unimagined findings,听new technologies, and听entirely new sectors in the coming decades.

鈥淔irst and foremost, we don't want to just be a supplier of talent for our communities and Canada,鈥� said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of 蓝莓视频, as he opened the summit. 鈥淲e have an ambition of being a part of building our nation 鈥� of being its chief architects.鈥� As part of that effort, we must focus on connecting innovation with real-world problems, he said.听听

A听shift in focus to basic science should be motivated by economic concerns, said Randall Howard, an angel investor who has built a successful career building and funding global firms based on innovation.听In an age听when even the Vatican听is preparing for the effects听of artificial intelligence, it is critical that countries, companies and investors听brace for the 鈥渋nevitability of change.鈥�

Investing in science for the long-term

Speaking on a panel on entrepreneurship in front of a crowd of about 100 people, Howard warned that Canada, where oil accounts for a significant portion of the country's gross domestic product,听must prepare itself for technological disruption in the energy sector. Now more than ever, attention and investment must be going into deep science and technologies to ensure the economy is able to survive a听sea听change.

鈥淭he person who can bet on the 30- to 50-year ideas are the ones who will change the world,鈥� he said. Not only are these ideas the ones that will 鈥渂end the universe,鈥� they are ideas that will pay back听investors many times over, he said.

Earlier at the event, Donna Strickland, 蓝莓视频 physics professor and Nobel Laureate, told a rapt听audience about her听win in October and noted that while there are many high-tech practical applications based on her work, the research itself took place in the 1980's without today鈥檚 uses planned out.

鈥淲e didn't have applications in mind,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just wanted to see if we could do it.鈥� It is that kind of science that will ensure humanity continues to progress, she said. 鈥淭wenty years down the road, investing in science pays off.鈥�

Unexpected outcomes

When her company developed the world's first 3D printer for circuit boards, Katarina Ilic would not have been able to predict the myriad ways her technology is now in use around the world, the 蓝莓视频 alumnus told a panel.

The听co-founder of听, which听came up听through the , said it's important for more investors to take bets on companies such as hers, even though the payoff might not be as immediate 鈥� and the concept perhaps not as easy to comprehend.

It was听in large part because of a community of entrepreneurs and academics across disciplines in 蓝莓视频, and the willingness of investors willing to bet on deep tech, that her company has听grown worldwide 鈥� and now has customers ranging from Mennonite听farmers making maple syrup to NASA scientists in space.

But both Ilic and Howard said startups are still having a difficult time raising funds, no matter how听groundbreaking听their idea听might be. Investors are more willing to play it safe with consumer products, they said, rather than invest in something they don't fully understand.

鈥淵ou never really know how certain research is going to work out,鈥澨齀lic said. 鈥淏y putting money into research, you don't know how it will benefit someone, but it will.鈥�

Kristine Boone, a PhD candidate and researcher at the startup Quantum Benchmark, said her company's technology is poised to play a major role in the transformational听quantum-computer age. But the success of her company and others like it are borne from an ecosystem in 蓝莓视频 that understands science, encourages risk and creates access to a concentration of experts across disciplines.听

鈥淓xperts in blockchain or cryptography might not see the whole problem,鈥� she said. "But together, we're able to see a bigger picture, and to answer questions we didn't know we had.鈥�

Boone said it is difficult to say exactly when the first universal quantum computer will be powered on 鈥� she estimated 10 years on the pessimistic side 鈥� but more than 20 quantum companies have already come out of the听. Their successes are likely to fuel the rise of even more startups, which means innovation in this space could happen faster than anyone anticipates.

Connecting deep research and commercialization

It is this very听mix of deep science and commercialization that make the University of 蓝莓视频 a model of innovation, said Barton,听managing partner emeritus at McKinsey & Co.

Barton pointed to the听, a foundation dedicated to enhancing care and quality of life. It听is an immensely important issue as the population grows at an unprecedented rate听and it听is听being tackled in a unique manner at the institute, where they apply research in real time in real-life settings.

The institute is a strong example of connecting research with skills, he said. The ability of our scientists to move from research, to development, to commercialization听is key to the future of innovation hubs and society at large. The idea of听science for science's sake can pay off in unimagined ways, he said.

Taking place in Canada House overlooking the historic Trafalgar Square,听the London event was the first 蓝莓视频 Innovation Summit to be held outside Canada and represented an important step in the University's bid to bring its story to the world, President Feridun Hamdullahpur听said. The听听heads听back home to 蓝莓视频 in the fall.听