It is argued that the government should be responsible for scientific research rather than private enterprises. Personally, I firmly agree with this notion because receiving investment from commercial businesses can still go hand in hand with public disadvantages.
Scientific research funded by the government has profoundly positive impacts on the community. Firstly, this research prioritizes social benefits, which predominantly concentrates on problems such as the environment, education, or human well-being. Secondly, research based on the government’s budget ensures that everyone obtains knowledge from outcomes. All of the research aims to share its results with the public community instead of being restricted by business security or patents. Moreover, the government encourages researchers to study unpopular fields, although it is possible that they cannot give answers immediately for these issues.
By contrast, private companies tend to set priority for the profit they earn; hence, these enterprises mainly invest in fields that generate superprofit rapidly. For example, research into rare diseases such as orphan disease is often ignored or underfunded. Furthermore, businesses also limit intellectual property rights. Research outcomes are always strictly confidential because they are considered trade secrets, which are used for competitions with other enterprises.
In conclusion, I believe that the government is more appropriate to invest in scientific research than private companies.