US urged to take more open approach to R&D

Report from national academies says efforts to protect research from foreign countries are often counterproductive

The US should focus on protecting its own capacity to innovate rather than on guarding its innovations from other nations, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Historically, US policymakers have been wary of openly sharing scientific and technical advances in areas such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. But a more open research approach would promote US leadership in science and engineering, attract top talent and encourage faster innovation, the academies argue in a report published on 29 September.