> but why should this research be done at university level?
Where else should it be done?
Supposedly academia is supposed to be the place that is free from economic incentives. Think about how we use the word "academically." As well as being a third party that is independent of the government. Even non-profits have to worry about economic value, just not about shareholders.[0]
I say supposedly because lots of academia is already captured by industry (or other entities). Computer science is a good example considering how common it is to work with industry partners. Sciences are mixed and there's good reason to work with industry that is highly rational and can provide huge benefits. But it does come with risk of capture. It should also be worrying if academic research becomes essentially an extension of a company's research arm because it does reduce innovation and exploration of ideas as research is pushed towards profit motivations but that's a very different kind of risk than the one discussed.
[0] In the last few decades we've adopted a mindset that everything should be a business model. This is true for academia. Maybe everything shouldn't be a business model. That doesn't mean things have to run at a loss but schools definitely are profit seeking in their current forms. The priority is not placed on education and research and thus presents an existential risk to these institutions. One could claim the death has already come but I'm not convinced.
Where else should it be done?
Supposedly academia is supposed to be the place that is free from economic incentives. Think about how we use the word "academically." As well as being a third party that is independent of the government. Even non-profits have to worry about economic value, just not about shareholders.[0]
I say supposedly because lots of academia is already captured by industry (or other entities). Computer science is a good example considering how common it is to work with industry partners. Sciences are mixed and there's good reason to work with industry that is highly rational and can provide huge benefits. But it does come with risk of capture. It should also be worrying if academic research becomes essentially an extension of a company's research arm because it does reduce innovation and exploration of ideas as research is pushed towards profit motivations but that's a very different kind of risk than the one discussed.
[0] In the last few decades we've adopted a mindset that everything should be a business model. This is true for academia. Maybe everything shouldn't be a business model. That doesn't mean things have to run at a loss but schools definitely are profit seeking in their current forms. The priority is not placed on education and research and thus presents an existential risk to these institutions. One could claim the death has already come but I'm not convinced.