Dear Council on Competitiveness Community,
We are in the homestretch for 2025. As past newsletters have demonstrated, 2025 has been incredibly productive. And with just three months ahead of us this year, much more is still to come. In particular, the team and I are excited to deliver the 2025 gala dinner and National Competitiveness Forum (NCF), December 15-16, at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, DC. Make sure to join us. Register online as soon as possible for our most impactful gathering yet (registration is open here; Council Members receive a special, significant discount).
The NCF will convene CEOs, university presidents, national laboratory directors, labor leaders, and policymakers to tackle the critical issues at the heart of U.S. productivity, security, and prosperity—from the rise of the “bio+ economy” and the continuing transformation of manufacturing, to breakthroughs in AI, quantum computing, supercomputing, to the exploding demand for energy to meet the competitiveness moment.
NCF sponsorship opportunities remain available, offering excellent visibility and engagement for Council Members. We are grateful for the generous support of our current sponsors:
- Premier: Bank of America
- Founder: University of Pittsburgh
- Chair: Snap-on Incorporated
- President: Arizona State University
- Benefactor: HNTB, University of Notre Dame
- Patron: Carnegie Mellon University, Gallup, Hofstra University, MITRE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Georgia, University of Texas at San Antonio
For questions about attending and/or sponsoring the NCF, contact Chad Evans, Executive Vice President and COO.
In addition to the NCF, there are several opportunities in the next few months to engage:
- The first chance is the final 2025 edition of the “Competitiveness Conversations Across America.” Taking place in Pittsburgh October 19-21, “Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI & Tech”—cohosted by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor and Council Academic Vice-chair Joan Gabel, Carnegie Mellon University President and Council Executive Committee Member Farnam Jahanian, Council Chair Emeritus Chad Holliday, and me—will explore the innovation and productivity-enhancing interactions between AI and healthcare, while highlighting the city’s intentional place-making strategies.
- A few weeks later on November 4, the Council’s CTO-led “Technology Leadership & Strategy Initiative” will meet in Fort Worth to assess the impact of their latest report, a Compact for America; discuss and set a new agenda for the effort’s 16th year of continuous dialogue; and explore the manufacturing journey for one of the most advanced systems ever built: the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning. I am grateful to our new TLSI industry Co-chair, Dr. Tahllee Baynard, Vice President, of Lockheed Martin for his generosity if hosting us in Texas, along with key colleagues across the LM enterprise.
In other important news, the Council’s “future of the bioeconomy” initiative hit an important milestone this month, as leaders convened in Indiana to review, debate, and shape the initiative’s “concept paper.” Primient CEO and National Commissioner Jim Stutelberg hosted a formative and insightful meeting of the Council’s Executive Committee and National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers to explore ways to accelerate U.S. leadership in a broad sector of global industries set to reach $30 trillion in value. This gathering also marked the first official meeting our new Chair, Erik Fyrwald, CEO, IFF, led for the Council. We are pulling together the major findings from the discussion and developing of a formal project plan. More to come!
And in early September we convened in Washington, DC, the Council’s University Leadership Forum – Council Executive Committee Member Josh Parker, CEO, Ancora hosted a gracious opening dinner; and Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton hosted the leaders during a daylong meeting at Gallup HQ. University presidents, chancellors, and higher education leaders worked to address pressing challenges, including declining public trust, shifting demographics, and workforce alignment. Discussions explored potential tools to monitor and optimize higher education’s role in U.S. competitiveness.
As always, I am inspired by the energy, commitment, and creativity of our Members. Together, through the policy work of our initiatives and the convenings to express and share that work, we are shaping the policies, partnerships, and strategies to define the next era of American competitiveness.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Wince-Smith
President & CEO
Council on Competitiveness
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Read the full edition of the October 1, 2025, Compete Connect newsletter, including much more about the Council's upcoming engagement opportunities and initiatives led by Council Members, below:
