Does the past 100 years count?

I'm not convinced a (singular) massive capital investment is exactly a good idea... but Startups? Corporate R&D?

For it to be entirely efficient there has to be market incentives... such as having a clear economic outcome with manageable risk.

Otherwise it will mostly just be throwing money at it with hopes that something will come of it. Something the government is always more than willing to do. But more capital efficient channels... not so much