---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's important that public funds be spent…"
description: "\"It's important that public funds be spent in research directions that are pushing market frontiers rather than working in existing areas. This means fu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg"
---

#  It's important that public funds be spent in research…

![“It's important that public funds be spent in research directions that are pushing market frontiers rather than working in existing areas. This means funding research not only on drugs but also on areas like life-style changes, even if the profit potential is lower for Big Pharma as you cannot sell…” quote by Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg)

> “It's important that public funds be spent in research directions that are pushing market frontiers rather than working in existing areas. This means funding research not only on drugs but also on areas like life-style changes, even if the profit potential is lower for Big Pharma as you cannot sell that change as you can sell a medicine.”

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Public funding should prioritize frontier research over incremental work, even if profits are lower.

**In simple terms:** Fund innovative research, not just profitable drugs.

Key Takeaway

Invest in breakthrough ideas.

Themes

economics science policy innovation

Mood

analytical critical

Type

policy economic

When to use this quote

- grant committees
- R&amp;D budgeting
- health policy

Key Concepts

market creation public good risk tolerance

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance risk and reward?
- What metrics evaluate frontier impact?

A Different Perspective

High‑risk research may fail, wasting public money.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Frontiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frontiers/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Life style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-style/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/)

## Related quotes

> [“But why, then, do these ideas persist? Why haven’t the scientists with the better and more accurate ideas eclipsed these old theories? Hart tells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-hari/but-why-then-do-these-ideas-persist-why-haven-t-the-scientists-with/)

[Johann Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-hari/)

> [The media is not about responding to the wishes of people. All you have to do in the United States is turn on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/the-media-is-not-about-responding-to-the-wishes-of-people-all-you/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [Drug company payments to doctors are a small part of a much larger strategy by Big Pharma to clean our pockets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/drug-company-payments-to-doctors-are-a-small-part-of-a-much-larger/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [“A Smoothie a day keeps Big Pharma away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hopkins/a-smoothie-a-day-keeps-big-pharma-away/)

[Gary Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hopkins/)

> [Big Pharma needs sick people to prosper. Patients, not healthy people, are their customers. If everybody was cured of a particular illness or disease,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/big-pharma-needs-sick-people-to-prosper-patients-not-healthy-people/)

[James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/)

> [ “\[I\]t seems to me that a lot of the stranger ideas people have about medicine derive from an emotional struggle with the very notion… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/i-t-seems-to-me-that-a-lot-of-the-stranger-ideas-people-have-about/)

[Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/)

> [For years, Big Pharma has been getting away with jacking up prices far beyond inflation, forcing families to cut pills, skip doses, or go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/for-years-big-pharma-has-been-getting-away-with-jacking-up-prices-far/)

[Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/)

> [“Big Pharma prefers the model of mail order pharmacy where prescription drug orders are filled the same way that Amazon.com fills orders for books.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/big-pharma-prefers-the-model-of-mail-order-pharmacy-where/)

[Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/)

> [Where I come from, Big Pharma's the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/where-i-come-from-big-pharma-s-the-enemy/)

[Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/)

> [Families should not be held hostage by big pharma's predatory pricing practices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/families-should-not-be-held-hostage-by-big-pharma-s-predatory-pricing/)

[Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/)

> [Big pharma has a strangle hold on the politicians. They're stepping over the corpses of the children of America to cash their checks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-barr/big-pharma-has-a-strangle-hold-on-the-politicians-they-re-stepping/)

[Al Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-barr/)

> [Big Pharma's the Taliban... They're Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/big-pharma-s-the-taliban-they-re-al-qaeda/)

[Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/)

> [The 'science' behind hormone replacement therapy has put women on a medically engineered, press-fueled, big pharma funded roller coaster ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-bay/the-science-behind-hormone-replacement-therapy-has-put-women-on-a/)

[Willow Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-bay/)

> [Imagine what it would be like if you didn't know that the evening news was funded primarily by 'Big Pharma.' You would actually believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/imagine-what-it-would-be-like-if-you-didn-t-know-that-the-evening/)

[Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/)

> [“What can I say? Big pharma isn’t lying to you (fine, they probably are): performance-enhancing drugs deliver, babes. In the short term, at least.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-marnell/what-can-i-say-big-pharma-isn-t-lying-to-you-fine-they-probably-are/)

[Cat Marnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-marnell/)

## More by Mariana Mazzucato

> [Mainstream economic theories popular in the last several decades have tended to downplay the government's role in markets and to increase skepticism about even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/mainstream-economic-theories-popular-in-the-last-several-decades-have/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Government support is not only investing in upstream areas like basic research, but also in downstream areas like applied research and early-stage financing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/government-support-is-not-only-investing-in-upstream-areas-like-basic/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Rethinking capitalism means rethinking the role of the public sector, the role of the private sector, the role of finance, and the relationship between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/rethinking-capitalism-means-rethinking-the-role-of-the-public-sector/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Too many politicians seem to reach for 'infrastructure' as the default answer to investment, as if roads and bridges were the answer to everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/too-many-politicians-seem-to-reach-for-infrastructure-as-the-default/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Green is not just about renewable energy. It's also about creating a new direction for the whole economy. This requires government to step up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/green-is-not-just-about-renewable-energy-it-s-also-about-creating-a/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Our current model of capitalism and the dominant ideas in policy making have led to a failure of investment by both the public and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/our-current-model-of-capitalism-and-the-dominant-ideas-in-policy/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Brexit and Trump have brought the problems of capitalism into sharp relief, but both are only making things worse. Take the investment challenge -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/brexit-and-trump-have-brought-the-problems-of-capitalism-into-sharp/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [While infrastructure is of course important, it must be part of a bigger vision. The point is not to simply dig ditches but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/while-infrastructure-is-of-course-important-it-must-be-part-of-a/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Brexit and Trump's election are forcing countries to come up with new radical ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/brexit-and-trump-s-election-are-forcing-countries-to-come-up-with-new/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [There is a lot of flesh to be put on the bones - but there is at least an opening for a more pragmatic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/there-is-a-lot-of-flesh-to-be-put-on-the-bones-but-there-is-at-least/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Once we admit that the public sector takes an immense amount of risk along the entire innovation chain, it becomes crucial to find ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/once-we-admit-that-the-public-sector-takes-an-immense-amount-of-risk/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [The globalized nature of production and innovation means that the benefits don't necessarily stay in the country where the investments are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/the-globalized-nature-of-production-and-innovation-means-that-the/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [If we want growth today to be more innovation-driven, more inclusive and more sustainable, then we need a more active state, not a less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/if-we-want-growth-today-to-be-more-innovation-driven-more-inclusive/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [An interesting attribute of public banks is that they don't only de-risk the downside, but also get a share of the upside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/an-interesting-attribute-of-public-banks-is-that-they-don-t-only-de/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

> [Markets are not static entities that are 'intervened' in (for good or bad) but are outcomes of public and private interactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/markets-are-not-static-entities-that-are-intervened-in-for-good-or/)

[Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

[Explore all 38 Mariana Mazzucato quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/)

## More Areas quotes

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [The earliest language was body language and, since this language is the language of questions, if we limit the questions, and if we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-earliest-language-was-body-language-and-since-this-language-is/)

[Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/)

> [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/people-don-t-want-to-believe-that-technology-is-broken/)

[Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/)

> [It's absolutely fun to walk around and have people respect you. When Michael Jackson did Thriller, I was in the park one day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/it-s-absolutely-fun-to-walk-around-and-have-people-respect-you-when/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [Software will get to be somewhat more mature, ah, but it will never be as predictable as most areas of engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-will-get-to-be-somewhat-more-mature-ah-but-it-will-never-be/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [The discrepancy between what actually happened and the version of what happened provided by sources is an enormous gray area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-discrepancy-between-what-actually-happened-and-the-version-of/)

[Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/)

> [Louisville is a place with no labels. It’s not the South, it’s not Chicago, and you don’t think of it as you think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/louisville-is-a-place-with-no-labels-it-s-not-the-south-it-s-not/)

[Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/)

> [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/)

[John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/)

> [Engaging the city around us and ministering to its needs reveal to us the remaining bastions of sin in our lives, the areas we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/engaging-the-city-around-us-and-ministering-to-its-needs-reveal-to-us/)

[Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/)

> [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [Well, the U.N. Security Council resolution 1973 is very clear. It says all necessary measures to be taken to protect civilians and civilian areas.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/well-the-u-n-security-council-resolution-1973-is-very-clear-it-says/)

[Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/)

> [When in one area of the world the standard of living and the size of the middle class increases, it is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lagarde/when-in-one-area-of-the-world-the-standard-of-living-and-the-size-of/)

[Christine Lagarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lagarde/)

Browse all 2,612 Areas quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's important that public funds be spent in research directions that are pushing market frontiers rather than working in existing areas. This means funding research not only on drugs but also on areas like life-style changes, even if the profit potential is lower for Big Pharma as you cannot sell that change as you can sell a medicine.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mariana Mazzucato"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spent-in-research-directions-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Areas"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spent-in-research-directions-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mariana-mazzucato-16911_areas_it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spen_287191.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's important that public funds be spent in research directions that are pushing market frontiers rather…” — Mariana Mazzucato",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mariana Mazzucato",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's important that public funds be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spent-in-research-directions-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/it-s-important-that-public-funds-be-spent-in-research-directions-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
