Valleys of Death and Darwinian Seas: Financing the Invention to Innovation Transition in the United States

The basic science and technology research enterprise of the United States—sources of funding, performing institutions, researcher incentives and motivations—is reasonably well understood by academics and policy makers alike. Similarly corporate motivations, governance, finance, strategy, and competitive advantage have been much studied and are relatively well understood. But the process by which a technical idea of possible commercial value is converted into one or more commercially successful products—the transition from invention to innovation—is highly complex, poorly documented, and little studied. In this paper we discuss the process by which basic research is converted into successful commercial innovations. Following Arrow (1962) and Zeckhauser (1996), we explore the hypothesis that asymmetries of informaion and motivation, as well as institutional “gaps,” may systematically deter private investment into early stage technology development. We describe the role of governments—federal and state (or provincial)—in promoting the commercial transition from an invention to an innovation. We conclude by suggesting some lessons that may be learned from the experience of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of the United States Department of Commerce, among the few Federal programs specifically intended to meet this need.     

NGOs and Cuba: Opportunity or opportunism?

Reporting on a large gathering of international and Cuban NGOs and other agencies, this article explores the issues faced by Cuban society in undergoing rapid economic change; and examines why the New World Order has not led to any significant involvement with Cuba, either by the inter-governmental agencies or by independent NGOs. It describes the roles of State-sponsored bodies in maintaining the major development gains of the last 30 years; and argues that NGOs which see their role as promoting 'democratisation' must avoid falling into simplistic and inappropriate assumptions about the distinction between the State and 'civil society'.     

European markets in cocaine

An established market for illicit cocaine has existed in Europe for twenty years. There is considerable elasticity in demand. Over-production in Latin America has contributed to increased availability and consumption. Retail prices vary from country to country. Professional criminals have become heavily involved in the market since the 1970s. The effect of cocaine trafficking on criminal organization may prove to be more significant than any problematic drug use resulting from the traffic itself.     

Do mothers know their teenagers' friends? Implications for individuation in early adolescence

This study addresses three issues: (1) Do mothers and teenagers agree less than mothers and children about their friends? (2) Are family and individual characteristics related to agreement? (3) Is agreement related to subsequent substance use? One hundred ten subjects and their mothers provided information on the friendship network at 9 and 13 years, individual and family characteristics at 13 years, and substance use at 15 years. The results indicate little change in the percent of friends the mother knows from middle childhood to early adolescence, although the number of friends the mother does not know does increase significantly. High mother teenager agreement about opposite-sex friends is related to close family relations, social and moral competence, and a lower likelihood of cigarette use. The findings are discussed as they relate to the constructs of individuation in adolescence and parental monitoring.