Do money are always a stimulus of the scientific progress?

Abstract

A case of environmental biology and wind energy
To improve the low quality of science the approaching Poland’s scientific policy aims to strengthen the co-operation with the business sector and to increase private R&D spending. In this paper we suggest that such a commercialisation of science may trivialize the Polish achievements to date, rather than improve the quality and competitiveness of science, but the basic science in particular. As an example we quote the environmental research connected with wind energy industry. Despite the fact that in the last years such research is very common and intensive, the expected improvement of the environmental biology is hardly seen. Instead, large funds dedicated to these market-driven research deteriorated it’s quality, hampered the innovations and exchange of knowledge and could cause long-term damages in natural resources. Similar effects are probable in other disciplines of science in Poland and abroad, especially in post-commune countries. We do not question good points of the new financial horizon of the EU Funds (2014-2020): emphasis on competitiveness, innovations, larger involvement of private R&D. However, we point out the danger of blind adjustment of the Polish science to the requirements of the EU scientific strategy – it should be tailored to regional circumstances instead.