Renewing the U.S. Innovation System

Overview

Innovation is the process of moving ideas from the laboratory to create new products and services for the market. This process is critical to addressing the nation’s challenges in economic growth and security, and to improving the health and wellbeing of our citizens.

The U.S. innovation system is widely recognized as the world’s most dynamic and productive. One goal of this course is to understand the sources of this exceptional capacity but also its many challenges. Indeed, many analysts believe America’s continued role as the premier location for developing new high-technology products and services is no longer assured, as many of the nation’s current institutions and practices are not attuned to today's technological needs and geopolitical realities. Other countries around the globe, especially China but also Europe and Asia, have introduced their own revamped industrial policies to increase their capabilities and competitiveness in science, technology, and innovation.

This course will provide industry leaders, diplomats, and policymakers with an understanding of the pillars of the US innovation ecosystem, the challenges it faces, and often instructive new initiatives of allies and competitors. The course takes a pragmatic approach, examining what works, what is not working and how we and our partners around the world can do better. We invite you to join us in person or virtually for this upcoming course.

Curriculum

Seminars

• Module 1: Fundamentals of the U.S. Innovation Ecosystem

  • This module will cover the key underpinnings of the U.S. innovation system, which consists of overlapping networks that include research universities and laboratories, businesses, capital markets and federal, state, and local agencies, all connected through a versatile set of public-private partnerships. It will also describe the role of standards and intellectual property protection as foundations for a robust innovation system.

• Module 2: Rising to China’s Innovation Challenge

  • This module will provide a framework for understanding the dramatically changing strategic environment and the long-term perspective the U.S. needs to have in order to remain and prosper as a leading global center of innovation. This module will examine the challenge posed by the emergence of China, the unprecedented measures undertaken by the Chinese government to acquire and deploy new technologies and the challenges this poses for global trade and investment. We will draw lessons from US Japanese competition in the 80s and 90s including the creation of consortium to enhance public private corporation and the need for new initiatives to address today’s complex technological competition.

• Module 3: Rebuilding the U.S. Manufacturing and Skills Ecosystem

  • This module will explore how recent bipartisan legislation, including the CHIPS and Science Act, aims to rebuild and reshore manufacturing while growing a skilled workforce across the country. The Biden Administration has taken unprecedented steps to incentivize manufacturing within the United States antidote to talent pipeline necessary for the new plants and institutions to thrive. The funds involved are substantial, and the billions of dollars, yet the tasks and the needs are extremely large. There is also a pressing need to overcome a business-as-usual approach, where desirable objectives such as environmental protection may clash with the needs of the fast-moving semiconductor industry with its enormous capital commitments and rapid development cycles.

• Module 4: Reinforcing Regional Economic Growth and Production

  • This module will examine the growth of the New York Capital Nanocluster and the lessons inherent in its economic revival after a period of industrial and economic decline. The central role of educational institutions able to take a flexible and innovative approach to new needs and new opportunities will be explored as will the paramount role of committed state leadership, sustained and substantial funding, and the government industry partnerships that made this regional renaissance possible.

• Module 5: Recap Discussion—What have we learned and how can we apply these lessons?

  • This module will identify the challenges of 21st century innovation in the U.S. and its implications for your business or institution's mission.

Eligibility

This course is structured for professionals in government, non-profit organizations, and corporations from a variety of sectors seeking to understand more about ongoing initiatives to renew America's innovation system. This course is open to individuals or teams. The course will focus on U.S. and Chinese innovation policies but is open to participants from all over the world.

How to Register

The online application includes a short entry form, statement of interest, brief bio, and resume. Entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please note that spaces are limited and the course may fill before the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

To register for Program Pairing and receive 20% off tuition to both Renewing the U.S. Innovation System and Building Critical Mineral Security for a Sustainable Future, fill out the registration form linked here or at the top of the page and check the box indicating that you would like to be considered for Program Pairing. An Executive Education team member will enroll you in both programs and reach out with more details.