The Smart State
Technologies such as personal computers and smartphones have transformed every corner of society. Figures such as Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are often considered the godlike innovators of these earth-changing technologies, but new documentary The Smart State presents a very different and far less Arguments welcome.
While private-sector leaders like Jobs and Wozniak are lauded for their keen vision, aggressive marketing techniques, and sleek, attractive packaging, most of the advanced technology they use in their products has its origins in the public sector. sweat and ingenuity. The film opens with a technologist dissecting the internals of a smartphone. The provenance of each piece is evident through every step of the inspection.
The development of the cell phone camera was sponsored by the US State Department and it proved to be especially useful in wartime situations. GPS technology is also a legacy of the conflict, with its invention dating back to the Cold War. Each of these technological features, including Bluetooth, Internet, WiFi, touchscreens, and voice activation, originated in the public sector.
The film challenges the common perception that the role of the public sector in creating new technologies is one of sponsor and facilitator. In fact, in many cases the opposite is true. Government funding of public universities and research centers has enabled many of today’s breakthroughs in home appliances, workplace robotics and medicine. But who really benefits from all this inventiveness and productivity, and what arrangements can best ensure the future vitality of innovation?
These are the core questions of the smart nation. Private companies get not only the acclaim of new technology, but also the vast majority of profits and government tax cuts. Finally, the film’s expert interviews call for greater cooperation between the private and public sectors, similar to the situation in Denmark. When planning for a future of energy innovation and zero-carbon emissions, the country has had its greatest success in sharing the investment, creation and return of new technologies.
