Without a dramatic increase in investment in basic research and reform of our K-12 educational system, it’s very likely that America’s children of tomorrow will enjoy a lower quality of life and standard of living than did their parents…. The key to competing is innovation — our ability to create new knowledge, turn that knowledge into products and services, and put those products and services into the marketplace.

—NORMAN AUGUSTINE, former Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation

The enemy I fear most is complacency. We are about to be hit by the full force of global competition. If we continue to ignore the obvious task at hand while others beat us at our own game, our children and grandchildren will pay the price.

—CHARLES VEST, President of the National Academy of Engineering

We are not looking forward. We are looking backward. We have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, and we think that we have an entitlement to continue with that. But if you have enough visas in your passport, you get an entirely different perspective.

—CRAIG BARRETT, Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation