Comment by chris_va

I think the article does not explain this well, but (having worked in an applied science field for many years) much of the work is picked up from these failed projects by other members of the field. Sometimes this is quick, sometimes years later. Anyway, while it might not immediately evident, shelved projects often do move the state of the art forward and unlock someone else's success (hence part of the argument for it being a public funded system). Of course, a lot do not, but that is the nature of research.