Special Session: National-Level R&D Programs/Movements in the Software Technology Field

The experience of the United States in the second half of the 20 century has clearly shown that focused and concerted efforts in national basic research and development (R&D) programs can have transformational impacts on a nation, as well as the broader international community. The formation of agencies such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH) provided an unprecedented focal point for coordinating the efforts of basic and applied research across various disciplines. In addition to accelerating the rate of scientific progress, this also led to a significant betterment of the quality of life of the people of the United States. This example has been followed in other parts of the world, e.g. the efforts of the Japanese Ministry of Internal Trade & Industry (MITI) and the ESPRIT effort of the European Union.