Scientific research should be carried out and controlled by the governments rather than private companies To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement

Science has been one of the driving forces behind the development of many countries, leading to the debate over the responsibility for conducting and supervising research. I believe that it is enterprises, and not governments, that should undertake scientific investigations, but these activities need the strict supervision of the latter.

Private companies should perform scientific research better than governments in most cases. The main reason is that they have to at least partially fund their own research and development, so the viability and efficiency of the projects are to be taken into careful consideration. This will likely lead to profitable results, so in the long term the investments can be recouped, and companies can continue to further carry out new research. In contrast, government-led studies are often plagued by public money squandering, probably because of the separation of rights and responsibilities between the people running the projects – civil servants – and those actually paying, taxpayers. Thus, it is advisable to leave scientific research to the private sector.

However, governments have a duty to control scientific studies undertaken by the private sector. Private enterprises generally prioritize profit, so in the pursuit of knowledge, several of their methods may be deemed unethical, like experiments on prisoners, and certain implications may appear too hazardous, such as the possibility of developing biological weapons. This is why many governments have been enforcing stringent regulations and guidelines to prevent such circumstances from happening. In addition to imposing restrictions, governments can act as facilitators of scientific ideas that benefit society as a whole. In developed and emerging countries, the authorities are giving companies carrying out this kind of research more tax incentives, fewer administrative procedures and paperwork, and more opportunities to approach investors. Therefore, governments play a crucial role in managing scientific investigations by regulating and encouraging the private sector.

In conclusion, while letting for-profit businesses conduct scientific activities would yield more benefits than governments, the latter are instrumental in controlling such exercises. This joint effort of both the private and public sectors is bound to result in more findings that not only are commercially viable but also increase the well-being of society.