Sadly it happens in publicly-funded institutions too. Chasing grants requires "novel" research. And everyone needs to be noticed (I have friends working in both spaces).
Then there's the whole problem of most published research not being reproduceable, and the massive amount of garbage getting published. Peer review is a joke. Seems like actual reproduction by multiple independent researchers should be a requirement for publication these days.
Like you said, an accelerated (or openly condoned) version of what's happening in the US.