Speech-technology research lies at an historic juncture. Commercialization of the technology is likely to accelerate dramatically over the coming decade, but its scientific foundation remains uncertain. A critical shortage of qualified speech scientists and engineers looms in the absence of well-funded, challenging programs for training speech technologists and timely intervention by universities, government agencies and speech-technology companies. The speech-technology industry should collaborate closely with academic and government partners to insure an orderly expansion of academic training and research facilities required to accommodate the inevitable surge in demand for spoken-language technology. In the absence of significant academic-industry-government collaboration the pace of scientific innovation in speech research is likely to slow dramatically.