Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by JonnieCache 4726 days ago
>If the government doesn't take the risk, long term innovation would be very difficult.

What I'm wondering is, if the taxpayers have to take all the risk and spend all the R&D money out of our own pockets, why don't we get to keep all the profits as well? I thought innovation was the role of heroic figures who eat risk for breakfast? I thought the massive, economy-distorting pay packages were justified by all that risk?

EDIT: obviously a lot more money is needed for marketing, manufacturing etc. But as I understand it the IP from these projects is basically given as a gift to favoured arms manufacturers when it's ready to become a product? Please correct me.
2 comments
arethuza 4726 days ago
The article says:

"the government's investment represents about 25% of the total"

Personally I am quite delighted to see my UK tax money going to back this project. Compared to the amounts we spend on much sillier projects it is a rounding error.

[e.g. My home city of Edinburgh is spending £1 billion on a rather short length of trams and the UK is spending ~£7 billion on two aircraft carriers when we can only afford to run one!]

link
JonnieCache 4726 days ago
In this case that seems pretty fair. Although if it's only 25% and it's such a great project I wonder could our bounteous financial sector not cover it?

Are the trams really still not finished? Blimey. My commiserations.

link
arethuza 4726 days ago
"Are the trams really still not finished?"

About a year from them actually running properly for passengers :-|

link
3327 4726 days ago
You are absolutely right. I am no expert in IP or government affairs but I would imagine that stakes in the project become an issue and even though a fully working "final" product say version 1.0 for production might be ready, the investment necessary for production of such parts are massive.

Second to that is the know how and expertise in precision manufacturing for such products that require a high degree of reliability.

In addition to this continues R&D and investing must be done for problems and improvements.

In summary I guess the people "get" their "profits" in the form of an army/navy/space marines equipped with the latest air breathing rocket engine.

link