The Council on Competitiveness reinforces these concepts in its 1999 innovation index that compares the U.S. innovative performance to that of other countries. Investment in the fundamentals of innovative capacity reached a peak in 1985 and then fell. Graduate school populations in engineering and the physical sciences, even in computer sciences, are also static or declining. An increasing proportion of graduates are international students, and an increasing proportion of them are returning to their home country on completion of their studies. These declines are partly the result of disinvestment by the Federal government, which is only partially compensated for by the private sector.
Private research shows clear signs of becoming much shorter term.
Collaboration and alliances are increasing in both academia and industry. Citing reports by the State Science and Technology Institute 1999 and Congressional Research Service 1998, the National Science Foundation summarizes the state government's role in expanding regional economic growth through science and technology. This report provides an overview of technology and innovation in the Colorado economy based on many of the indices of innovation used in similar studies. Overview, National Science Foundation. Executive Summary Technology crosses many industries and means different things to different people.