Hopefully without removing the possibility for an open discussion, I've set up a poll with a somewhat arbitrary scale. On a scale from 0 to 10: 0 - No value whatsoever; getting paid/recognition for what you do is a bonus you are not actively seeking. 2 - As much value as the research market gives it; it only has indirect effect in your work as you need to find funding/research positions. 5 - Some value; seeing where your work can be used is important to you but you sometimes spend some time on a purely theoretical question that sparks your interest. 10 - A lot of value; all of your research is entirely motivated by the applications and you always work closely with people that use it.