The Obama administration's emphasis on research-based policy-making and human resources for science and engineering gives new import in the U.S. to the type of dialog that unfolded during the Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy Oct 2-3.

A robust international presence on both the conference planning committee and among participants indicates that questions relative to science and technology (S&T) governance, societal participation in S&T policy-making, and how common national and global goals can be achieved through innovation and science are increasingly part of the dialog in countries around the world.

The conference drew some 215 participants from 31 countries across five continents. It was organized by the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy with help from faculty and researchers from our schools of economics, international affairs, and history, technology, and society; Georgia Tech's College of Management and Enterprise Innovation Institute; and universities and research centers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, and India.

"Our focus on science and technology policy occupies a unique space," said conference chair Susan Cozzens, Professor in the School of Public Policy and Associate Dean of Research for the Ivan Allen College. "By engaging economists, sociologists, policy scholars, and researchers from both affluent and developing countries around the world, the conference engages an extraordinarily comprehensive and diverse dialog."

In addition to the role of S&T policy, sessions addressed wide-ranging issues around trends such as the dynamics of multinational corporations, the emerging nanotechnology industry, and the status of open innovation. Several panels discussed security and energy issues. Others delved into the challenges of careers in science and engineering, along with global collaboration and mobility of researchers. The emerging economies of China, India, and South Africa received attention, including the search for a more level global playing field in commerce and the offshoring of research and development.