Vannevar Bush and the evolution of scientific innovation policy

The historical influence of Vannevar Bush on scientific policy highlights the evolution of innovation models. Bush, a key figure in American scientific mobilization during World War II, authored the 1945 report ‘Science, the Endless Frontier’ for President Harry Truman. The report advocated for heavy state funding of basic scientific research as a foundation for technological advancement, job creation, and improved living standards.

While Bush’s work became a cornerstone for the ‘linear model of innovation’—a concept that heavily influenced Brazilian research and innovation instruments—modern leading economies have moved beyond this exclusive logic. Current strategies increasingly combine basic science funding with industrial policies focused on corporate innovation, demand, and technological capacity development, recognizing that the innovation process is non-linear and complex.