U.S. Stalling on Innovation?

A new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation ranked the United States sixth among 40 countries and regions based on 16 indicators of innovation and competitiveness, reports The New York Times.

But the report ranks the United States last in progress made over the past decade, a trend foundation President Robert D. Atkinson calls "very troubling."

The rankings were based on things like venture capital investment, scientific researchers, spending on research and educational achievement.

There's always debate over the validity of such rankings, as IT Business Edge's Carl Weinschenk wrote about the broadband debate.

The most recent rankings of global competitiveness by the World Economic Forum, which were largely based on surveys, put the United States in first place. And a Rand Corp. report released last year concluded the United States is in "no imminent danger" of losing its competitive advantage in science and technology.