/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/b/blog/posts/grassroots-engineering-the-us-universities-pushing-manufacturing-forwardThe United States boasts some of the most impressive research universities in the world, many of which have earned a reputation as hotbeds of innovation. Funding from private companies and federal agencies has helped entice thousands of engineers to en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/learn/learning-center/stem-academy/b/blog/posts/grassroots-engineering-the-us-universities-pushing-manufacturing-forwardThu, 18 Aug 2016 15:40:02 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:d434dc3d-e959-419d-a067-cb6e25d6b1c6volly1<p><span>[mention:ec0e4a36cbe3467291e0179ab6f01a04:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05]</span>, I am waaaaayyyyyyy down here in the almost most southern tip of Africa, Cape Town, South Africa. We may not have such a big country like the USA, nor do we have so many universities, but boy-oh-boy, do we have so real good researchers, inventors and innovators. Given our SMALL to non-existing research budget at our higher institutions we&#39;re doing pretty well. We might not be a top featuring nation in the bigger scheme of things, but we have made our mark, how small or insignificant it might be. Every now and then, we seem to be in the news for something great.</p><p>Remember the world&#39;s first successful heart transplant on a human. Then there are those great personas which left our shores for countries like the US, GB and so many other European countries to pursue&nbsp;&nbsp; their life&#39;s work where the funding would be. </p><p>I might be going off the focus of the topic and the real point here, given that it&#39;s about the US, but maybe, just maybe.....for what it&#39;s worth....some good megabucks philanthropist will notice this and decide to get currently almost ZAR14.00 for each and every US$1.00 and see how US$150 million become ZAR2.1 Billion.</p><p>Wow! now you can get a helluva-lot-of-chips for that kind of money.....any takers perhaps????</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Yunus Vollenhoven....very humble South African.....<span>[View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-d434dc3d-e959-419d-a067-cb6e25d6b1c6/contentimage_5F00_3.png:16:16]</span><span>[View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-d434dc3d-e959-419d-a067-cb6e25d6b1c6/contentimage_5F00_734.png:16:16]</span><span>[View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-d434dc3d-e959-419d-a067-cb6e25d6b1c6/contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]</span></p><img src="https://community.element14.com/aggbug?PostID=1837&AppID=134&AppType=Weblog&ContentType=0" width="1" height="1">