It was never the University's role to innovate in the manner that the article says they do. But just look at google summer of code: All of these projects—really, really cool things—are university research projects. Besides, it was never the university's role to innovate in the manner that the article insinuates: i.e. tangible code. Most of the "innovation", or creative code, you see in today's world are simply the application of already existing theories.