COUNCIL HOSTS LAUNCH EVENT OF NEW NATIONAL COMMISSION
On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the Council formally launched the National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers, a multi-year flagship initiative to define a new path for productivity, prosperity and innovation for all.
More than 30 CEOs, university presidents, labor leaders and national laboratory directors – National Commissioners – kicked off this new movement to develop the next generation of critical, actionable and measurable policy recommendations and private sector actions to bolster America’s investments in talent, technology, innovation and infrastructure.
Throughout the launch event, Commissioners engaged in robust dialogue about the ways in which the Commission – through its organized working groups and committees – would tackle emergent challenges and threats, and seize strategic opportunities at the heart of long-term competitiveness.
The Commissioners endorsed the formation of three Working Groups to develop initial content, and policy research:
1. Developing and Deploying at Scale Disruptive Technologies—This group will map promising, strategic technology pathways to enhance productivity and economic growth for the United States. The group will work under the leadership of Council University Vice Chair, Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University.
2. Exploring the Future of Sustainable Production and Consumption, and Work— This group will examine the ever-evolving disruption underway in the production and consumption of goods, as well as the rapid evolutions unfolding in the American workforce. The group will work under the leadership of Council Chairman, Dr. Mehmood Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Life Biosciences, Inc., and Council Labor Vice Chair, Mr. Lonnie Stephenson, International President, IBEW.
3. Optimizing the Environment for the National Innovation Ecosystem—This group will explore ways to optimize the entire system in which the nation’s innovators and enterprises operate – from capital costs, intellectual property, standards and regulations, etc. – and examine the critical roles the private sector, and local, state and federal governments must play. The group will work under the leadership of Council Industry Vice Chair, Mr. Brian Moynihan, president and CEO, Bank of America.
Commissioners emphasized the need specifically to create action-oriented measurable outcomes – not only policy recommendations – that the Council’s membership and affiliated constituencies could put into practice and track results. An Outreach & Engagement Committee – comprised of Commissioner-nominated marketing, government relations, and external communications professionals – will support the National Commissioners and Council staff in efforts to propagate major findings.
Additionally, to sustain the momentum from the Commission launch meeting, Commissioners will identify a strategic advisor to represent their interests and perspectives. These advisors will be part of the Advisory Committee, a strategic operating group that will help the Council vet and refine the policy recommendations coming from Working Groups, and ensure alignment with the work of the Outreach & Engagement Committee.
Throughout 2019, Council staff will begin to populate the Working Groups and committees, and continue building a digital collaboration platform to engage Commission stakeholders. On January 16, 2020, Arizona State University will host the Working Group Launch Conference to kick off the ongoing dialogues, research, and reporting of the Groups, which will lead to sets of interim and final policy recommendations by the Commission.
For additional information or questions about the National Commission, please contact Chad Evans, Executive Vice President, Council on Competitiveness;([email protected];202-969-3380).
