Dear Reader,

As we enter the Presidential election period, perhaps the most important election in a generation, at stake is contrasting visions of the role of government. After WWII, Vanevar Bush and others pushed for an activist role for the federal government in fostering basic research in the US. NSF and other government labs were formed then, followed by NIH, DARPA and NASA in the 1950s. By all measures the return on taxpayer investments has been phenomenal. Technological innovation has powered growth in industry and made our standard of living the envy of the world. The world also benefited from our basic research with huge improvements in better health and poverty reduction.

I have personally been a beneficiary and contributor to this growth. My grandfather, a soil physicist, came to the US to do a post-doc in 1946. My father came with him and got his engineering degrees here. My grandfather returned to India and was part of transforming India from a country of famines to an exporter of food, with US technology.

Massachusetts has been at the center of this Innovation Economy. Led by the unique confluence of great research universities spanning The Charles, Massachusetts has weathered the Great Recession better than most other states. If we are able to commercialize the immense warehouse of innovation and human talent in our universities, we are bound to stay on top.

Boston University has emerged as a significant research university with exciting research that will have significant impact on society. For the third year we will be showcasing BU’s innovative technologies at Tech, Drugs & Rock ‘n Roll, some of which are introduced below. Hoping to see many of you at TDDR and finding ways to bring BU technologies to market to benefit humanity.

For more information about the conference and registration, click here.

Sincerely,

Vinit Nijhawan

Managing Director