I worked in academic research for 6 years (in AI/systems engineering) and I never encountered anyone who was succesful and interested in pragmatic issues.
On reflection, this is perhaps a bit harsh to some of the very bright people I used to work with.
What I meant was that in the context of a highly competitive research environment those who were succesful had learned that to succeed they couldn't afford to focus on anything that wouldn't progress their own careers - and that meant (and presumably still means) publications in the rights places which are usually completely uninterested in practical details and focused more on pure mathematical/conceptual concepts.
