Mission
Success in the global economy of tomorrow requires robust forethought and action from leaders today.
- Lead the global economy of the future
- Strengthen America’s innovation infrastructure
- Raise the standard of living for all Americans
From powering the industrial age to leading today’s convergence of AI, advanced technology, and health innovation, Pittsburgh is a city of reinvention—a fitting backdrop for a first-of-its-kind joint convening of the Council’s Competitiveness Conversations Across America series and the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils’ (GFCC) annual Global Innovation Summit, titled “Forging the Future – The Intersection of Health, AI & Tech”.
This landmark event—co-chaired by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor and Council Academic Vice Chair Joan Gabel, Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian, GFCC Chair and Council Chair Emeritus Chad Holliday, and Council CEO and GFCC President Deborah L. Wince-Smith—will take place at the University of Pittsburgh, October 19–21, 2025.
Bringing together local, state, regional, national and global leaders, Forging the Future will serve as a defining dialogue at the intersection of technology, talent, place-making innovation, and health—exploring how cutting-edge breakthroughs are transforming health outcomes and positioning Pittsburgh as a global hub of 21st-century competitiveness.
Catch the October 1 Edition of Compete Connect!
As we head into the final quarter of 2025, the Council is gearing up for a powerful finish—with the upcoming National Competitiveness Forum and Gala Dinner in December, major milestones in our bioeconomy initiative, and new engagement opportunities from the Technology Leadership & Strategy Initiative and University Leadership Forum. This edition also highlights the fall “Competitiveness Conversations Across America” in Pittsburgh, as well as recent member achievements and contributions.
Read the October 1, 2025, Compete Connect Newsletter here.
Council on Competitiveness President & CEO Deborah L. Wince-Smith Wince-Smith explores how regions across the U.S.—from Tennessee and South Carolina to Indiana, Texas, Colorado, and Pennsylvania—are building the foundation of America’s innovation economy. Deborah's September Forbes.com article, the final in a series elevating the Council’s "Competing in the Next Economy" report — and its more than 55 policy recommendations — focuses on Pillar 7: Expanding Collaborative Innovation Networks—highlighting strategies to grow innovation capacity, strengthen regional ecosystems, accelerate technology deployment, and prepare communities for the future of work. Read the full article here.
Photo Credit: Getty
The Technology Leadership & Strategy Initiative's (TLSI) Compact for America: A Call to Action for a New Tech-Driven Industrial Base and National Innovation Ecosystem synthesizes the experiences, insights, and recommendations of the TLSI members—some 50 Chief Technology Officers from across business, academia, and the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories—offering a roadmap for fostering the technologies and resulting innovations necessary for dramatically increasing U.S. productivity, prosperity, and security. Read the full TLSI Compact for America here.
America’s growing electricity demand—driven by AI, data centers, and the broader electrification of the economy—requires regulators to incentivize rather than hinder innovation in generation, transmission, storage, and efficiency technologies.
In our September Fellows Insight, the Honorable Branko D. Terzic, former Commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Distinguished Fellow of the Council on Competitiveness, examines how U.S. public utility regulation can support (or inadvertently stifle) innovation. Focusing on electricity, he explains that regulators’ control over rate bases, depreciation policies, and returns on investment can delay or block adoption of new technologies.
Read Terzic’s insightful piece here.