Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper, Charles Goodyear’s vulcanized rubber and Alexander Bell’s telephone were among the continuous cycle of inventions that spurred America’s industrial revolution in the 1800s, created industries and later reinforced America‘s status as the premier economy in the world in the post-World War II period. The importance of inventions in aiding socioeconomic progress and influencing life itself cannot be overstated.

Creates New Industries

Inventions create new industries.
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A direct impact of inventions is the formation of new industries and many derived sectors. Texas Instruments’ Jack Kilby’s invention of the integrated circuit in 1958 spawned the electronics industry and later-era computers, information technology and mobile telephony/communications industries.

Spurs Innovation

Federal government funding and research programs have helped spawn recent discoveries and inventions.
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Renowned American ingenuity coupled with federal government funding, defense sector-sponsored programs and university research initiatives have created a system that spurs innovation, leads to significant breakthroughs and encourages research and development activities for new inventions.

Fuels Patents Culture

Inventions also fuel patent culture.
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Thomas Edison’s record 1,093 patents and filing of patents at timely intervals by numerous American inventors, technologists and engineers kept America at the forefront of new scientific revolutions and attendant commercial applications in science, engineering and technology throughout the 20th century.

Creates Employment

New industries create new jobs.
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New industries and allied sectors resulting from the successful application of inventions fuel demands for millions of manufacturing, production, service, customer support and other jobs.

Improved Quality of Life

Inventions and discoveries have brought about dramatic changes in transportation.
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Inventions and discoveries enabled by inventions have brought about dramatic changes in communication, transportation and improved standards of living, and have ensured advanced health and medical care and longer human life spans.