Panel: The role of information search and retrieval in economic stimulation

Many studies to date have demonstrated that information reuse and integration can produce ever-more intelligent systems for use in various application domains. What is less widely recognized however is that indexing, searching, and retrieving relevant information from free-form text can be a source for creativity in design, analysis, and justification. When coupled with multimedia and CAD/CAM for presentation, such reuse and integration can allow for the formation of better corporate strategies. For example, some very early automotive designs were for electric vehicles. What was principally lacking however was an efficient portable electric power source. The availability of protoforms for natural language search and retrieval would serve to better enable the discovery of newer battery technologies (e.g., lithium ion) by automotive manufacturers - including startup companies - across the spectrum from theories to experimental models to models having part numbers and volume pricing. Making this a productive and enjoyable experience for the user will best serve the goals of economic stimulation.