There’s so many ways to say aagghhh, what the hell is going on, that it is difficult to knowwhere to start.
But, it is nearly six months since John Key (no less) announced the high-tech transformation ofthe science sector was to be
Namely - and specifically - that IRL is to morph into an Advanced Technology Institute. We stillwait for something, anything, to happen.
We’ve had reviews galore (indeed, it is close to reviews of the reviews) of IRL.
We’ve had the plan to absorb the Ministry of Science and Innovation into the MoBIE, or whateverits acronym is.
We’ve had an awful lot of nothing much – along the lines of Nero fiddling while Rome burns(though that was apparently quite unfair to Nero who was generally regarded as one of the bettertyrants, see here )
All of which is pretty depressing at a time when doing something, anything, creating somemovement and getting runs on the board, would be a bit of a tonic for the country.
Part of the irony of the situation is that it was IRL who suggested the transformation in thefirst place (and quietly promoted the idea through the Advanced Manufacturing Review and along thepolitical process).
While it doesn’t suggest (and neither should it) that it has all the answers, simply by settingout on a journey to become a more effective half-way house between science and industry, it would belikely to evolve to become that.
Instead it appears that bureaucratic masters want to attempt the impossible of describing andprescribing what it should be, and what results it should deliver in a world that’s changing sofast that any document describing the same becomes redundant the moment it is written.
Look, a quick group hug would soon provide IRL with its riding instructions and allow it to geton with getting on. Part of that is expanded resources for Christchurch and Auckland and newconstruction at Gracefield to replace some buildings that existed before the Second World War!
What is required is a balanced plan put together collaboratively by industry (to keep everybodyhonest and ensure that the idea actually works), MSI (to provide world’s best ATI practice andgovernment policy and compliance, and IRL (to retain the integrity of the organisation and topromote the best of what it has). By industry, how about representatives of companies with greattrack records in R&D and innovation like Scott Technology, F&P Healthcare, Resene andGlidepath.
The risk of industry alone deciding would risk “candy floss science” – excessive focus onshort term, applied studies of limited depth. A government-designed ATI – well - think about itthen shudder the thought. IRL calling all of the shots on its own would risk the nation ending upwith IRL in drag.
But how about Minister Joyce inviting all three to work collaboratively to draw up a simple modelthen appointing an establishment board to implement the ATI?
In the total, and it seems continued, absence of any sense of national science direction fromgovernment, mucking around and trying to dot mythical i’s and cross potential t’s of what an ATIshould be doing is true fiddling.
At the end of the day, the ATI is going to be ‘doing stuff’.
In transforming itself, IRL will become much more engineering-oriented, and require specialisedbrains from the university sector.
The ‘production’ of such people is another aspect that IRL has lined up to happen inpartnership with universities. (It is however important that there isn’t an over-emphasis onengineering vis a vis biological, physical and chemical sciences that are strengths of IRL andimportant to many New Zealand companies.)
But its hands are tied while ‘government’ mucks around doing nothing.
For goodness sake GET ON WITH IT – or put Graham Henry in charge.
Or - to quote ‘The Simpsons’ Mr Burns - “Release the hounds” Mr Joyce.