The current issue of Fortune Magazine has a story about Obama's difficulties in hiring a new CTO.It's not just a Silicon Valley parlor game. The process is being watched all over the country - and the world. It's a key position: the new CTO will focus on using technology to spur innovation both within the government and the broader economy. And that innovation isn't just in the area of telecom; robotics needs to have an equal share of the focus.
Scientific advances and entrepreneurship will help lead us out of our crisis, but the process needs focus and direction from the top. Obama promised that leadership throughout the campaign by his desire to hire and his description of the functions of a Chief Technology Officer.
Having seen first-hand the success of public/private initiatives in Korea, Japan and Europe with a focus on robotics, I'm sure that similar focus here in the U.S. will yield dramatic successes, particularly in the area of robotics.
It's time for President Obama to choose our new CTO and get the process going.
