“We are not afraid of dismantling privilege and have scientists in the
streets, demonstrating and turning in their lab coats and test tubes. I
would like to ask these scientists what great discoveries they have
made. We will probably find out that they haven’t discovered very
much, while so many young researchers are excluded from pursuing
careers.” The words are those of Minister for Education, Universities,
and Research Letizia Moratti, commenting a few months after loud
protests by a large number of Italian scientists against the decision by
the government to restructure research agencies. The protest represented
an important stage of a phenomenon that was without precedent
(not only in Italy) until only a few years ago: the mobilization of
scientific researchers. It also was the most salient moment of an elaborate
public debate on the problems of scientific research in Italy that
carried on throughout 2003. The debate had a number of important
implications, touching on issues such as insufficient investment in
research; the so-called brain drain, that is, the inability to retain competent
researchers, who leave Italy to work in foreign institutes; the
growing dissatisfaction of younger generations with established scientific
research; and the need to remain internationally competitive in
areas of productivity and innovation.