Science - Dick Ahlstrom

Opinion:Can we grow a smart economy and create wealth using our collective brain power rather than brawn?

WE can." Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Short. Simple. Direct. It doesn't actually mean anything, but that doesn't matter in the context in which the words are uttered.

US president Barack Obama knew this when he and his handlers began using it on the campaign trail. Now he has the public chanting it at every public function he attends.

"Yes we can." Who can? Can what? It carries so little actual content it can mean anything, and surely does for the people who keep shouting it out. It means whatever they want or need it to mean and, in the process of responding to those three simple words, the person is uplifted and enthused.

The words don't have to carry information; they evoke a sentiment. They reflect an attitude, a can-do spirit. Happily for Obama, this is in great abundance in the US and, no matter how dismal the economy, how depressing the news from the frontline, the can-do optimism always percolates just under the surface. Americans truly believe that, if there is a challenge at hand, they will find a way to overcome it.

Those three little words manage to tap into a wellspring of confidence and people immediately agree: "Yes we can!" It certainly worked for Obama, who, as a direct consequence of that kind of thinking, now lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Only 18 months ago, he was viewed as a no-hoper - a candidate with no chance.

We could do with more of that kind of attitude in Ireland. But, somehow, the can-do thing doesn't seem to persist long enough for us to believe in it.

Maybe the weather does it to us, especially under an unremittingly grey January sky and facing what appears to be a near intractable economic situation. The "yes we can" sentiment tends to morph into a "maybe we can", quickly followed by, "but we probably can't."

You can sometimes see this lack of confidence infiltrating the scientific research community. They universally want the "yes we can" sentiments to be reflected in our drive towards a knowledge economy - what the Taoiseach and Tánaiste now refer to as the "smart economy".

There is no doubt that a smart economy will bring with it jobs and wealth. It works in big, innovation-driven countries like the US and Japan, but also in smaller places like Finland and Singapore. It seems that, if you invest consistently and wisely in research, then you will benefit. When it comes to the knowledge economy, "if you build it, they will come".

The Government is doing its part by stumping up the cash, most recently a €300 million funding round under Cycle 5 of the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions. Bidding opened in mid-January and winning applicants are expected to attract additional money from private sector companies, who put up €1 for every €2 provided by the Exchequer.

This money comes as part of the wider Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation, which, in the seven years up to 2013, will see €8.2 billion invested in scientific research.

But can we do it? Can we pull this thing off? Can we grow a smart economy and start creating wealth using our collective brain power rather than brawn, or by screwing together computers designed by someone else?

Of course we can, provided we believe and provided we maintain the funding. Good ideas that turn into money are, happily, recession-proof. Just ask the founders of Merrion Pharmaceuticals who, only three weeks ago, announced a $58 million deal with pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. Merrion has developed clever drug delivery systems and Novo Nordisk wants to use them in conjunction with some of its Type II diabetes products.

Merrion was founded here and lives in Trinity College Dublin's biotechnology building. "Yes we can" was probably heard emanating from its offices at some stage before the deal was announced. And it's likely that there are many more Merrions out there waiting to happen - researchers with good ideas looking for a chance to bring them to market.

We can all take heart from successes coming from the "yes we can" brigade, but we should also realise we have little choice in this. We have lost our former competitiveness when it comes to manufacturing activities further down the value chain. Poland and the Far East are taking these jobs away from us now.

We have to keep on the current path and not hope but believe that it will come good for us. As Master Yoda told a young Luke Skywalker: "Do or do not, there is no try."