Former Cisco CTO Judy Estrin says U.S. innovation has lost its edge

Judy Estrin, entrepreneur and former Cisco CTO, has a less than flattering view of U.S. innovation, saying

that the climate for innovation that fuels enconomic growth has been diluted on a reliance of quick fixes and fast products, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. In her book, “Closing the Innovation Gap,” Estrin explains that just as trees need good soil and climate to create healthy forests, start-ups require an “innovative ecosystem.” She says: “What happens to trees is root rot in which the leaves and branches look fine for a while until the tree topples over and dies,” she said. “We’ve already got the root rot.”

The Chronicle reports that Estrin believes Americans have “quit investing for the long term and become addicted to the quick fix,”and that instead of focusing on building companies and creating jobs, the focus is on trading and flipping. Her suggestion for reform is to focus on four challenges – creating energy or reducing its use; understanding climate change; improving health care; and improving personal and national security, writes the Chronicle.

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