Innovation Files

Continued innovation and investment is vital to maintaining the U.S.'s leadership in the biopharma sector. Rob and Jackie sit down with Andrew Geall, Chief Development Officer at Replicate Bioscience, and Deborah Barbara, strategic advisor to Primrose Bio, to discuss the development and potential of mRNA as the fourth pillar of pharmaceutical innovation.MentionedSandra Barbosu, “Harnessing AI to Accelerate Innovation in the Biopharmaceutical Industry,” (ITIF, November 2024) Richard Fleischer, dir. Fantastic Voyage, (20th Century-Fox, 1966).RelatedStephen Ezell and Meghan Ostertag, “The Bayh-Dole Act's Role in Stimulating University-Led Regional Economic Growth,” (ITIF, June 2025) 

There is a clear linkage between technology and national security, economic strength and social stability. Rob and Jackie sit down with Alex Capri, author of Techno-Nationalism: How It's Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics and Society to discuss how nations leverage technological innovation for national security and stability and how that applies to evolving United States-China competition.MentionedAlex Capri, Techno-Nationalism: How It's Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics and Society, (Wiley, December 2024).Orville Schell and John Delury, Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century, (Random House, July 2013).Robert D. Atkinson, “Liberation Day: Explaining Trump's Tariffs,” (ITIF, April 2025)

In the inaugural episode of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Trade War Podcast, host Stan McCoy discusses recent developments and challenges in global trade policy with Ambassador Susan C. Schwab and Rob Atkinson. The conversation covers the latest U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, the implications of President Trump's protectionist stance, and the strategic importance of recognizing China as the main adversary. Subscribe and rate The Trade War Podcast: YouTube | Apple | Spotify | Buzzsprout Home

What is the correct economic strategy for a nation? Rob and Jackie sat down with Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, authors of Industrial Policy for the United States, to discuss how industrial policy, done right, will develop the kind of economy the United States wants.MentionedMarc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, Industrial Policy for the United States, (Cambridge University Press, November 2024).Ian Fletcher, Free Trade Doesn't Work: What Should Replace It and Why, (Coalition for a Prosperous America, February 2011).“Are You a “Marketist” or a “Producerist” on Economic Policy?,” (ITIF, December 2024).

Data-informed and evidence-based decision making can drive optimum outcomes in local governments. Rob and Jackie sat down with Rochelle Haynes, managing director of What Works Cities, to discuss how technology and innovation are being used in cities to equitably deliver services and solve problems.RelatedRochelle Haynes, “How Cities Can Harness the Power of AI in 2024,” (What Works Cities, 2024)Ash Johnson. “Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities,” (ITIF, 2023).

Europe has been enormously unsuccessful in creating substantial digital businesses for over three decades. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Evans, chairman of Market Platform Dynamics, to discuss why it's imperative that Europe ends this ‘digital winter'.MentionedDavid S. Evans, “Why Europe Must End Its 30-Year Digital Winter to Ensure Its Long-Run Future,” (SSRN, April 2024).Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today's Innovation Economy, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

It's easy to get excited about new breakthroughs, but the real power lies in diffusing technological advances throughout the entire economy. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jeffrey Ding, Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, to discuss how technological revolutions influence competition and the implications for the United States and China.MentionedJeffrey Ding. Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition, (Princeton University Press, 2024).Robert D. Atkinson. The Past and Future of America's Economy: Long Waves of Innovation that Power Cycles of Growth, (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005).Victor Appleton. Tom Swift Sr. Series, (Stratemeyer Syndicate, published between 1910 and 1941).

Over the last several years, public opinion on technology and the use of data has shifted from excitement to skepticism to fear. Rob and Jackie sat down with Daniel Castro, Vice President of ITIF and Director of the Center for Data Innovation, to discuss the negative effect of techlash on human outcomes.RelatedRobert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today's Innovation Economy, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).Robert D. Atkinson, Doug Brake, Daniel Castro, Colin Cunliff, Joe Kennedy, Michael McLaughlin, Alan McQuinn, and Joshua New, “A Policymaker's Guide to the “Techlash” —What It Is and Why It's a Threat to Growth and Progress,” (ITIF, October 2019)

The future will be much improved if society fights the fear of technology. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jim Pethokoukis, Senior Fellow and DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss how the sci-fi fantasy of the future isn't as far off as we think. MentionedJames Pethokoukis. The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised, (Center Street, 2023).Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today's Innovation Economy, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).RelatedRobert D. Atkinson, Doug Brake, Daniel Castro, Colin Cunliff, Joe Kennedy, Michael McLaughlin, Alan McQuinn, and Joshua New, “A Policymaker's Guide to the “Techlash” —What It Is and Why It's a Threat to Growth and Progress,” (ITIF, October 2019)Hodan Omaar, “No, We Aren't in an Oppenheimer Moment for AI,” (ITIF, July 2023)

Climate change is a global problem, with two polarized viewpoints making it difficult to find a solution. Rob and Jackie sat down with Robin Gaster, Director of Research at ITIF's Center for Clean Energy Innovation, to discuss how price/performance parity in green technologies can bridge the gap between left and right viewpoints on clean energy. MentionedRobin Gaster, Robert D. Atkinson, and Ed Rightor, “Beyond Force: A Realist Pathway Through the Green Transition,” (ITIF, July 2023).RelatedRobin Gaster, “A Realist Approach to Hydrogen,” (ITIF, January 2024).

The past few years have seen a remarkable rise in the quality and quantity of deepfakes. Rob and Jackie discussed the rise of deepfakes with Ryan Long, Vice-Chairman of the California Lawyers Association, Licensing and Technology Transactions Group, Intellectual Property Section, and explored how to harness this technology responsibly while preventing abuse.MentionedHenry A Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher. The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, (Little, Brown and Company, 2021).Megan Garber, “The Man Who Saved the World by Doing Absolutely Nothing,” (The Atlantic, September 2013).RelatedDaniel Castro, “Joe Biden Did Not Approve This Fake Message,” (ITIF, March 2024).Daniel Castro, “Blame Lawmakers, Not AI, for Failing to Prevent the Fake Explicit Images of Taylor Swift,” (ITIF, January 2024).

The term ‘supply chain' is relatively new, but the activities involved are not as new as we think. Rob and Jackie sat down with Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, to discuss the complex history of supply chains and how technology and AI will continue to evolve supply chain processes in the future.MentionedYossi Sheffi. The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and the Future of Work, (MIT CTL Media, 2023).RelatedStephen Ezell and Stefan Koester, “Transforming Global Trade and Development With Digital Technologies,” (ITIF, May 2023).

Amidst the burgeoning advancements in autonomous vehicles (AVs), striking a balance between expectation and reality emerges as a challenge. Rob and Jackie sat down with Richard Mudge, president and founder of Compass Transportation and Technology, to discuss how innovations in the world of AVs can affect safety, productivity, and job creation.MentionedMichigan.gov. “I-94 Connected & Automated Vehicle (CAV) Corridor Proposed Project,” Michigan Department of Transportation.RelatedAswin Prabhakar. “Logic, Not Emotions, Should Guide Autonomous Vehicle Deployment,” (Center for Data Innovation, December 2023).

While quantum computing technology is maturing more slowly than other innovations, its potential is vast. Rob and Jackie sat down with Murray Thom, vice president of product management at D-Wave, to discuss quantum computing applications already being put into place, and possible advancements in the future. MentionedHodan Omaar. “The U.S. Approach to Quantum Policy,” (Center for Data Innovation, October 2023). Congress.gov. "Text - H.R.6227 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): National Quantum Initiative Act," December 21, 2018.Related“Quantum Computing: The Case for a National Task Force,” (Center for Data Innovation, February 2022).Hodan Omaar. “What Should Congress Include in The Next National Quantum Initiative Act?,” (Center for Data Innovation, May 2023).

Used to its full potential, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist employees, improve interactions with customers, and increase efficiency. Rob and Jackie sat down with Nitin Mittal, a principal with Deloitte Consulting, to discuss how AI is being used to enhance work environments. Mentioned Thomas H. Davenport and Nitin Mittal. All-in On AI: How Smart Companies Win Big with Artificial Intelligence, (Harvard Business Review Press, 2023).“State of AI in the Enterprise, 5th edition report,” (Deloitte United States, 2022).RelatedPatrick Grady and Daniel Castro, “Tech Panics, Generative AI, and the Need for Regulatory Caution,” (ITIF, May 2023).

Forced local data storage requirements are at the heart of both digital protectionism and digital authoritarianism. Rob and Jackie sat down with Nigel Cory, associate director covering trade policy at ITIF, to discuss how data localization reduces trade, slows productivity, and increases prices.RelatedNigel Cory, “How the G7 Can Use ‘Data Free Flow With Trust' to Build Global Data Governance,” (ITIF, July 2023).Nigel Cory, “USTR Tai's Justification to Take a Time-out on Digital Trade Does Not Hold Up,” (ITIF, Dec 2023).

To flourish, innovation hubs need the right combination of talent, tech, funding, and market access. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jessica Corrigan, the director of M&T's Tech Academy, to discuss how smaller regions can become powerful innovation ecosystems.MentionedRobert D. Atkinson, “Comments to the Commerce Department Regarding Implementation of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program,” (ITIF, March 2023).RelatedMatt Ashare, “At M&T Bank, modernization and talent strategies intersect in the cloud,” (CIO Dive, June 2023).Robert D. Atkinson, “Understanding the U.S. National Innovation System, 2020,” (ITIF, November 2023).

There is a troubling chasm between trade policy and competition policy. Rob and Jackie sat down with Alden Abbott, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, and Shanker Singham, one of the world's leading international trade and competition economists, to discuss how to bridge the gap between barriers at the border and conditions of competition inside the border.MentionedShanker Singham and Alden F. Abbott. Trade, Competition and Domestic Regulatory Policy, (Taylor & Francis Group, 2023).Stephen Ezell, “The Bayh-Dole Act's Vital Importance to the U.S. Life-Sciences Innovation System,” (ITIF, March 2019).

China has had a dismissive attitude about its obligations as a member of World Trade Organization (WTO) ever since it joined the organization. Rob and Jackie sat down with Dennis Shea, executive director of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, to discuss how China's current non-market economic system is simply incompatible with WTO norms. MentionedDennis Shea. China's Trade-Disruptive Economic Model and the Implications for the WTO. (U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva, 2018).2022 Report to Congress On China's WTO Compliance. United States Trade Representative, February 2023.Robert D. Atkinson. How China's Mercantilist Policies Have Undermined Global Innovation in the Telecom Equipment Industry. (ITIF, 2020).Stephen Ezell. False Promises II: The Continuing Gap Between China's WTO Commitments and Its Practices. (ITIF, 2021).

Export controls exist at the perilous intersection of economic policy and national security. What could go wrong? Rob and Jackie sat down with Kevin Wolf, a partner at Akin Gump, to discuss how to strike the right balance between keeping certain advanced technologies away from adversarial militaries without locking U.S. firms out of global markets. RelatedRobert D. Atkinson, “Export Controls Shrink the Global Markets U.S. Semiconductors Need to Survive” (ITIF, July 2023). Stephen Ezell and Caleb Foote, “How Stringent Export Controls on Emerging Technologies Would Harm the U.S. Economy” (ITIF, May 2019). 

Policy regarding new technologies can be reactionary, confused and focus on the wrong things. Rob and Jackie sat down with Patrick Grady, former policy analyst at ITIF's Center for Data Innovation to discuss what the European Union policymaking process can teach us about regulating emerging tech. MentionedProposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying Down Harmonised Rules on Artificial Intelligence, (European Commission, April 2021).RelatedPatrick Grady. The AI Act Should Be Technology-Neutral, (Center for Data Innovation, February 2023).Ashley Johnson. Restoring US Leadership on Digital Policy, (ITIF, July 2023).

 Counterfeiting—one of the oldest, simplest crimes—has only continued to evolve as technology has grown more complex.  Rob and Jackie sat down with Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit and Associate General Counsel, to talk about how counterfeiting negatively impacts business, taxes, intellectual property, and innovation itself. MentionedBecca Trate and Daniel Castro. Best Practices to Combat Online Sale of Counterfeits in the EU and US, (ITIF, July 2022).RelatedSujai Shivakumar. How Data-Sharing Partnerships Can Thwart Counterfeits on Online Marketplaces, (March 2021). 

Over the past 150 years, humanity has generated an unprecedented amount and variety of information, surpassing the cumulative knowledge of previous eras.  Rob and Jackie sat down with Jim Cortada, a senior research fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to talk about how information shapes society.MentionedJim Cortada, Birth of Modern Facts: How the Information Revolution Transformed Academic Research, Governments, and Businesses, (Sandman Books, 2023). Sarah Lamdan, Data Cartels: The Companies That Control and Monopolize Our Information, (Stanford University Press, 2022).RelatedDavid Moschella, “We Shouldn't Ask Technologists To Be Arbiters of ‘Truth',” (ITIF, July 2023).

Looking ahead to the technological challenges and opportunities of the next decade, social trust will be more important than ever for the tech industry. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Moschella, a nonresident senior fellow at ITIF and the author of ITIF's “Defending Digital” series, to discuss how a lack of societal trust harms the U.S. innovation system.MentionedDavid Moschella, “Digital Innovation Isn't Undermining Societal Trust; It's the Other Way Around” (ITIF, February 2023).RelatedDaniel Castro, “Groupthink Is To Blame for Recent TikTok Bans” (ITIF, February 2023).Patrick Grady and Daniel Castro, “Tech Panics, Generative AI, and the Need for Regulatory Caution” (Center for Data Innovation, May 2023).

A data-driven world raises the stakes for numeric literacy. Rob and Jackie sit down with George Sciadas, the former director of the Statistics Canada Center for Special Business Projects and author of the new book Number Savvy, to discuss the past, present, and future of data in society.MentionedGeorge Sciadas. Number Savvy: From the Invention of Numbers to the Future of Data, (Taylor & Francis Group, 2022). Kirk Goldsberry. Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA. (Mariner Books, 2019)

America can't just pick up speed to beat China economically; it needs to slow down China, because there's no use in accelerating when your adversary is along for the ride. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jonathan Ward, author of China's Vision of Victory, to discuss where things stand in innovation and technology, and how the U.S. can maintain its position as the world's largest and most sophisticated economy.MentionedJonathan Ward. The Decisive Decade: American Grand Strategy for Triumph Over China, (Diversion Books, 2023).Jonathan Ward. China's Vision of Victory: A Guide to the Global Grand Strategy of the Chinese Government, (Atlas Organization, 2023).RelatedIan Clay and Robert D. Atkinson. Wake Up, America: China Is Overtaking the United States in Innovation Capacity, (ITIF, 2023)Stephen Ezell and Stefan Koester. Three Cheers for the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022! Now, Let's Get Back to Work, (ITIF, 2022). 

To improve quality of life for as many people as possible, the places to start are cities. Rob and Jackie sat down with multiple award-winning technology and business leader Jonathan Reichental to discuss why the United States is falling behind other countries in the “smart city” movement and why it matters in a data-driven world.MentionedJonathan Reichental. Data Governance for Dummies.For Dummies, 2022.Jonathan Reichental. Smart Cities for Dummies.For Dummies, 2022.“New Urban Mechanics.” boston.gov, January 29, 2016. RelatedAshley Johnson, “Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities” (ITIF, February 2022).Colin Cunliff, Ashley Johnson, and Hodan Omaar, “How Congress and the Biden Administration Could Jumpstart Smart Cities With AI” (ITIF, March 2021).

Google doesn't create terrorist propaganda videos, doesn't allow them on YouTube, and takes them down as fast as it can when extremist groups post them anyway. But a question now before the Supreme Court is whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects Google and other platform operators from liability if their algorithms end up spreading harmful content. To parse the potential ramifications, Rob and Jackie sat down with Senior Policy Analyst Ashley Johnson, one of ITIF's resident experts on Internet policy issues such as privacy, security, and platform regulation.MentionedRobert D. Atkinson. “A Policymaker's Guide to the ‘Techlash'—What It Is and Why It's a Threat to Growth and Progress” (ITIF, October 2019).RelatedAshley Johnson, “If the Supreme Court Limits Section 230, It Will Change the Way the Internet Functions” (ITIF, February 2023).Ashley Johnson. “Section 230 Still Isn't the Solution to Conservative Claims of Social Media Censorship” (ITIF, December 2022).

Semiconductors are arguably the most important core technology in the modern world. You can't fully understand the current state of politics, economics, or technology until you consider the role they play. Rob and Jackie sat down with economic historian Chris Miller to discuss the extent to which microchips are the new oil. MentionedMiller, Chris. Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Simon & Schuster, 2022. Remarks by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Special Competitive Studies Project Global Emerging Technologies Summit. The White House. The United States Government, September 16, 2022. RelatedRobert D. Atkinson. Computer Chips vs. Potato Chips: The Case for a U.S. Strategic-Industry Policy. (ITIF, January 2022).

Teaching students to combine basic ideas to solve novel, difficult problems is imperative to setting a foundation for STEM pursuits. Rob and Jackie sat down with Richard Rusczyk, founder the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, co-writer of the original Art of Problem Solving books, and co-founder of the Mandelbrot Problem Solving Competition.MentionedAoPS and Beast Academy Math programs for Advanced Students. Art of Problem Solving. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022.Robert D. Atkinson and Merrilea Mayo, “Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to STEM Education” (ITIF, December 2010)

Economics is about more than the economy. It also intersects public and private institutions, culture, religion, morality, and politics. Rob and Jackie explored these subjects with Benjamin Friedman, a professor of Political Economy at Harvard and author of The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth and Religion and the Rise of Capitalism.Mentioned:Benjamin Friedman, Religion and the Rise of Capitalism (Vintage: 2022).Benjamin Friedman, The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth (Vintage: 2006).Robert D. Atkinson, “The Abandonment of Growth and the Decline of the West,” The Independent Review, Vol. 2, no. 2, Fall 2022.Benjamin Carter Hett, The Death of Democracy (Macmillan: 2018)

The U.S. is currently lacking most if not all of identified characteristics that are associated with competitive advantage, but there are potential steps that can be taken moving forward. 

 Midwestern populism caused a ripple effect that extended to open technology transfers and exchanges between Ford Motor Company and both Soviet and Nazi specialists. Rob and Jackie sat down with Stefan Link, Associate Professor of History at Dartmouth University, to discuss Henry Ford and his “open door policy” regarding methods and engineering. 

 There are techniques for thoroughly thinking through how technologies will be adopted, what their implications will be, how they will spur growth, and how they will create new industries. Rob and Jackie sat down with futurist and tech expert Peter Leyden, who hosts Civilization Salons at The Long Now Foundation, to discuss how digital technologies are shaping the future for the economy, the work force, manufacturing, and more. Mentioned:Jason Feifer, “Wearing A Walkman Was Illegal,” Building For Change podcast (formerly Pessimists Archive), September 12, 2016.Related:Robert D. Atkinson, “The Task Ahead of Us: Transforming the Global Economy With Connectivity, Automation, and Intelligence” (ITIF, January 2019). 

Robust intellectual property rights provide the incentives necessary to drive innovation by allowing markets to form for tangible and intangible assets. Without them, incentives get distorted and innovation slows. Rob and Jackie sat down with Jonathan Barnett, director of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Law Program at USC's Gould School of Law, to discuss the recent history, current political dynamics, and economic stakes associated with patent protections.Mentioned:Jonathan Barnett, “The Great Patent Grab” (August 20, 2021). In The Battle over Patents: History and Politics of Innovation (eds. Stephen H. Haber and Naomi R. Lamoreaux, Oxford University Press 2021), USC CLASS Research Paper No. CLASS21-48, USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 21-48.Robert D. Atkinson and Michael Lind, Big Is Beautiful: Debunking the Myth of Small Business (The MIT Press, 2019).Stephen Ezell, “TRIPS Waiver on COVID-19 IP Rights Wouldn't Help Vaccine Access; It Would Just Harm Innovation,” ITIF Innovation Files, March 19, 2021.Stephen Ezell, “The Bayh-Dole Act's Vital Importance to the U.S. Life-Sciences Innovation System” (ITIF, March 2019). 

Innovation in life sciences is crucial for many key industries in the United States and across the globe. It supports advances in human biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, health care policy, and beyond. Such advances would not always have been possible without the Bayh-Dole Act. Rob and Jackie sat down with Joe Allen, who served as a professional staffer on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to former Senator Birch Bayh, to discuss the importance of the Bayh-Dole Act and the future of life sciences innovation. RelatedStephen Ezell, “The Bayh-Dole Act's Vital Importance to the U.S. Life-Sciences Innovation System” (ITIF, March 2019). “Preserving Bayh-Dole—the “Inspired” Law That Underpins U.S. Leadership in Life-Sciences Innovation” (ITIF Event, March 2019).Stephen Ezell, “How Japan Squandered Its Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness: A Cautionary Tale” (ITIF, July 2022).

Quantum technologies, especially quantum computing, hold great promise in revolutionizing everyday systems. Quantum computing can be applied to health care, artificial intelligence, national security, and beyond. Rob and Jackie sat down with Edward Parker, a physical scientist at the RAND Corporation, to discuss the implications of quantum computing and how the United States can remain the global leader in this technology.Mentioned:Edward Parker, et al., “An Assessment of the U.S. and Chinese Industrial Bases in Quantum Technology” (RAND Corporation, February 2022). Hodan Omaar, “Why the United States Needs to Support Near-Term Quantum Computing Applications” (Center for Data Innovation, April 2021). Related:Ashley Johnson, “NIST Takes First Big Step in Preparing for Post-Quantum Cryptography” (ITIF, July 2022). “How Will Quantum Computing Shape the Future of AI?” (Center for Data Innovation Event, October 2020). “ITIF Technology Explainer: What Is Quantum Computing?” (ITIF, September 2018).

 The world is facing a climate crisis. But venture-backed clean energy technologies can help avert the worst outcome. Rob and Jackie sat down with Peter Fox-Penner, senior fellow and founding director of Boston University's Institute for Sustainable Energy and chief impact officer of Energy Impact Partners, to discuss the promise of climate-tech innovation in the U.S. electrical system and venture capital's role in slowing climate change. RelatedHoyu Chong, “Mission Critical: The Global Energy Innovation System Is Not Thriving” (ITIF, January 2022). “How 5G Can Spur Climate Tech Innovation” (ITIF Event, June 2022).Linh Nguyen, “Refreshing the Global Agenda for Climate Innovation” (ITIF, May 2021).

Data is one of the most essential and valuable assets in the world. It impacts everything from the ads we see and the products we buy to national security. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Deming, the Academic Dean and a Professor of Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, to discuss the importance of data, data sharing, and ways to protect individual data privacy.MentionedDavid Deming, “Balancing Privacy With Data Sharing for the Public Good,” The New York Times, February 2021.David Moschella, “The Power of Big Tech Peaked During the Pandemic; Disruptive Forces Are on the Rise” (ITIF, June 2022).Gillian Diebold and Chelsea Han, “How AI Can Improve K-12 Education in the United States” (Center for Data Innovation, April 2022).RelatedAshley Johnson, “Three Bills Show Remaining Divisions in Attempt to Reach a Compromise on Federal Data Privacy Legislation” (ITIF, June 2022).Daniel Castro, “Review of the Proposed “American Data Privacy and Protection Act: Part One and Part Two” (ITIF, June 2022).David Moschella, “Your Data Isn't Gold; It's Not Even Yours” (ITIF, April 2022).

The United States used to be a leader in semiconductor production, but its share of global output dropped from 37 percent in 1990 to just 12 percent in 2019. That helps explain why the country now faces serious supply issues. Rob and Jackie sat down with John Zysman, a professor emeritus at UC Berkeley and co-founder/co-director of the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, to discuss why U.S. semiconductor production is down, what it portends, and how America can regain its footing in the industry. Mentioned:Stephen S. Cohen and John Zysman, Manufacturing Matters: The Myth of the Post-Industrial Economy, (Basic Books, 1987).Related:Rob Atkinson, “Potato Chips, Computer Chips: Yes, There Is a Difference” (ITIF, December 2020).Rob Atkinson, “Computer Chips vs. Potato Chips: The Case for a U.S. Strategic-Industry Policy” (ITIF, January 2022). Stephen Ezell, “Incentives Essential to Ensuring America Possesses a Leading Semiconductor Industry” (ITIF, February 2022).

China is taking an authoritarian approach in its quest to be a dominant power in technology and global affairs. Silicon Valley innovator and former Under Secretary of State Keith Krach has a unique perspective on both aspects. Rob and Jackie sat down with him to discuss how China is impacting global market competition and what it means for U.S. competition policy. MentionedKeith Krach, “Present your China contingency plan at the next board meeting,” Fortune Magazine, April 2022.RelatedRobert D. Atkinson, “China's ‘State Capitalism' Is Not Capitalism” (ITIF, August 2021).Robert D. Atkinson, “A Remarkable Resemblance: Germany From 1900 to 1945 and China Today,” International Economy, January 20, 2021.Robert D. Atkinson, “Who Lost China?” (ITIF, July 2018).

The United States has been a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) since the 1950s. But AI and other advanced industry leadership in the United States has been threatened by increased competition with China. Rob and Jackie sat down with Arthur Herman, a senior fellow and director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative at The Hudson Institute, to discuss how AI leadership in the United States has eroded and what policymakers can do to save it for the future. Mentioned:Arthur Herman, Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, (Random House Trade, November 2013).Arthur Herman, The Viking Heart: How Scandinavians Conquered the World, (Mariner Books, 2021).Related:Rob Atkinson, “Don't Fear AI” (European Investment Bank, June 2018).Hodan Omaar, “Creating an AI Bill of Rights Is a Distraction,” Financial Times, October 2021.Daniel Castro and Michal McLaughlin, “Who Is Winning the AI Race: China, the EU, or the United States? — 2021 Update” (ITIF, January 2021).

One of the benefits of electric vehicles is they cost less to maintain. But that also means there's less profit to be had in servicing their warranties, which gives car dealers less incentive to sell them. That's why EV makers like Tesla and Rivian depend on direct-to-consumer sales and distribution. Unfortunately, there are decades-old dealer-distribution laws standing in the way. Rob and Jackie sat down with Daniel Crane, the Frederick Paul Firth Senior Professor of Law at University of Michigan, to discuss how these laws harm consumers and undermine technological innovation. RelatedDavid Hart, “Why a Measured Transition to Electric Vehicles Would Benefit the U.S.” (ITIF, November 2019).Dorothy Robyn, “Driving Change: A Front-Loaded, Aggressive Strategy for Federal Procurement of Electric Vehicles” (ITIF, December 2020).David Hart, “Time for a Serious U.S. Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Strategy” (ITIF, November 2020).

Venture capitalists know what it feels like when a company is firing on all cylinders. But it's been a while since the whole country had that feeling of dynamism—so why not focus on companies that help the cause by supporting the national interest, solving critical problems, and doing fundamentally new things? Rob and Jackie sat down with Ben Horowitz and Katherine Boyle of the leading VC firm Andreessen Horowitz to talk about investing in American dynamism.MentionedBen Horowitz, The Hard Things About Hard Things (Harper Business, 2014). Ben Horowitz, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture (Harper Business, 2019). Rob Atkinson, The Past and Future of America's Economy: Long Waves of Innovation that Drive Cycles of Growth (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005). Related“Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy,” ITIF event, January 2014.Luke Dascoli, “AI Start-Ups Attracted Over 21 Percent of The World's Venture Capital in 2020” (ITIF, January 2022).John Wu, “A Small Business Innovation Research Grant Doubles an Energy-Technology Company's Chances of Later Receiving Venture Capital” (ITIF, May 2017).

Technology is rapidly developing across many sectors—and that is especially true with wireless technologies. 5G phones give consumers better, stronger, faster service and more capacity to download. But 5G goes beyond phones, it provides great innovative capacity for businesses. Rob and Jackie sat down with Susie Armstrong, senior vice president for engineering at QUALCOMM, to discuss what makes 5G unique and how it impacts smart factories, healthcare, and more. RelatedDoug Brake, “ITIF Technology Explainer: What Is 5G?“ (ITIF, September 2018). “A National Strategy for 5G, With Doug Brake,“ ITIF Innovation Files podcast, July 2020. Doug Brake, “A U.S. National Strategy for 5G and Future Wireless Innovation” (ITIF, April 2020).

Trade tensions between the United States and the EU have increased over the past few years. Decreasing those transatlantic tensions while promoting fair competition will be especially important with the challenge of a rising China. That is a key goal of the new U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). Rob and Jackie sat down with Denis Redonnet, the EU's chief trade enforcement officer, to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the TTC and the broader implications for trade policies in the United States, the EU, and in the World Trade Organization. Mentioned:Rob Atkinson, “Advancing U.S. Goals in the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council” (ITIF, September 2021).Related:Nigel Cory, “How the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council Can Navigate Conflict and Find Meaningful Cooperation on Data Governance and Technology Platforms” (ITIF, December 2021).Nigel Cory and Wendy Cutter, “Time for an Upgrade: Moving WTO Negotiations Into the Digital World” (ITIF, May 2020). “China vs. The WTO: Two Decades of Dissembling and Dysfunction,” ITIF Event, December 2021.

China's rapid technological development has put tremendous pressure on the United States to remain competitive in strategically important industries. Rob and Jackie sat down with Matt Turpin to discuss what the United States has done so far to face the China challenge and what future policies should look like. Turpin is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and has served as the National Security Council's director for China and as the senior advisor on China to the Secretary of Commerce.Mentioned:James Fallows, “China's Great Leap Backward,” The Atlantic, December 2016.Rob Atkinson, “Weaving Strategic-Industry Competitiveness Into the Fabric of U.S. Economic Policy” (ITIF, February 2022).Related:David Moschella and Rob Atkinson, “Competing With China: A Strategic Framework” (ITIF, August 2020).Rob Atkinson, “The Case for Legislation to Out-Compete China” (ITIF, March 2021). “How China's Role in Technology Development Affects the United States and the World, With Sam Olsen,” ITIF Innovation Files podcast, February 2022.

China views technology and the tech companies that produce it as strategic assets to be leveraged in a global race for geopolitical advantage. That's why it doesn't treat its domestic champions as players in a free market—the point is to make sure they win at the expense of Western competitors. Rob and Jackie sat down with entrepreneur and strategist Sam Olsen, author of What China Wants, to discuss the implications of China's technological development. Mentioned:Sam Olsen, What China Wants, (Substack, 2022). Stefan Link, Forging Global Fordism: Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and the Contest over the Industrial Order, (Princeton University Press, 2020). Related:Rob Atkinson, “China's ‘State Capitalism' Is Not Capitalism” (ITIF, August 2021).Rob Atkinson, “The Case for Legislation to Out-Compete China” (ITIF, March 2021).Rob Atkinson, “The U.S. Needs to Copy China's Tech Strategy to Remain the Top Economy in the World” (ITIF, November 2019).

Concerns about China's rapid rise in recent decades have affected U.S. policies on technology, innovation, and industrial competitiveness. Rob and Jackie discussed the history of Chinese industrial policy and its implications for America and its allies with Barry Naughton, the So Kwanlok Chair of Chinese International Affairs at UC San Diego and author of The Rise of China's Industrial Policy, 1978 to 2020. Mentioned:Barry Naughton, The Rise of China's Industrial Policy, 1978 to 2020, (Academic Network of Latin America and the Caribbean on China, March 2021). Nigel Cory, “Heading Off Track: The Impact of China's Mercantilist Policies on Global High-Speed Rail Innovation,” (ITIF, April 2021).Related:Rob Atkinson, “Time for a Coherent U.S. Strategy to Address Chinese Innovation Mercantilism” (ITIF, March 2020).Rob Atkinson, “What Is Chinese “Innovation Mercantilism” and How Should the UK and Allies Respond?” (ITIF, June 2021).“Chinese Innovation Mercantilism: An Essential Reading List of ITIF Policy Analysis and Commentary” (ITIF, June 2020-2021). 

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are among the most important technologies for Internet the today, enabling software-based systems to automate tasks and redraw the lines between organizations, suppliers, customers, and partners in ways not seen since the birth of the web. Rob and Jackie sat down with Rob Dickinson, co-founder and CEO of Resurface Labs, to discuss the future of APIs and the implications for public policy. MentionedAshley Johnson and Daniel Castro, “Improving Accessibility of Federal Government Websites,” (ITIF, June 2021). RelatedDaniel Castro and Michael Steinberg, “Blocked: Why Some Companies Restrict Data Access to Reduce Competition and How Open APIs Can Help” (ITIF, November 2017).Daniel Castro, “Improving Consumer Welfare With Data Portability” (ITIF, November 2021).“Accelerating the Digital Transformation of Healthcare, With Pat Combes” (ITIF Podcast, June 2020).

STEM-related fields are booming in the United States, but they often lack diversity. If the United States wants to remain a leader in these fields, policymakers must take steps to adequately fund state institutions to ensure that all students receive access to STEM programs. Rob and Jackie sat down with Dr. Juan Gilbert, chair of the University of Florida's Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department, to discuss how the United States has fallen behind in recruiting students in science, technology, engineering, and math and what policymakers, universities, and industries can do diversify their candidate pools. Related:Kevin Gawora, “United States Needs to Expand Domestic STEM Doctorates” (ITIF, December 2020).Stephen Ezell, “Assessing the State of Digital Skills in the U.S. Economy” (ITIF, November 2021).“Innovation Fact of the Week: Students Are More Likely to Pursue STEM Degrees in College If They Are Exposed to More Science Subjects During High School” (ITIF, August 2016).