US risks losing its high-tech lead, says Energy Secretary Chu

Computer World : In a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on Monday, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu observed that the US is at risk of losing its lead in technology, calling the current situation a “Sputnik moment.” Chu illustrated his concern by describing the decline of the US share of worldwide high-technology manufacturing, which peaked in 1998 at 25% and has declined steadily ever since to about 12–13%. China, in contrast, has seen its global share of the tech export market rise from 6% in 1995 to 20% in 2008. Nevertheless, Chu believes the US can turn this trend around with government policies and investment in such areas as carbon-free technology.