Keep the research pipeline filled, or development will lag.

This article reports that research and development is the engine that drives economic growth. According to the National Science Foundation, research and development industry accounted for more than 60% of the nation's $284 billion in research and development spending in 2003. More than 90% of that industry spending supports development and applied research on products and services. Modern technologies such as radioactive tracers, X-ray machines, MRI, CAT scans and laser surgery are all built on basic research in physics and biology conducted in the 20th century. The transistor, which grew out of basic research in materials science, made possible the electronic revolution with devices like computers, cell phones and the Internet. The federal government's largest funder of basic research in the physical sciences is the Department of Energy's Office of Science.