Dear Council on Competitiveness Community,
The third edition of our 2026 "Competitiveness Conversations Across America," San Diego: Building the Next Economy’s Strategic Innovation Stack — Compute, AI, Energy, Bio, Autonomy, and Security, was as incredibly insightful and engaging as the past dozen.
Under the vision of Council Executive Committee Member and UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, we brought together more than 45 incredible speakers and 200 leaders from industry, academia, the U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, and the global competitiveness community to unpack the key elements driving the region’s model of placemaking innovation — a compelling example of how decades of sustained investment in research, talent, entrepreneurship, national security, and public-private collaboration can transform a region into an innovation powerhouse.
Today, San Diego ranks among the world’s leading telecommunications and biotechnology hubs, and it is making great strides in building world-class competencies and capabilities in fusion research, biomanufacturing, sensors, advanced microelectronics, and autonomous systems across an array of industries.
Throughout the Conversation, leaders examined the forces that continue to shape San Diego’s innovation economy, explored opportunities to strengthen further its momentum, and identified lessons to amplify and deploy across the country to help communities build resilient innovation ecosystems. The Council and UC San Diego teams look forward to sharing in the weeks ahead a summary report of key findings.
Photo credit: Wonderstruck Photography by Miss Kehaulani
Pictured: Dr. Pradeep Khosla, Chancellor, UC San Diego; The Hon. Deborah Wince-Smith, President and CEO, Council on Competitiveness; Mr. Chad Evans, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Council on Competitiveness
The Council launched our week in San Diego with a special workshop – in partnership with IFF and ANSI – aimed at discussing and codifying a set of smart regulatory and standards principles to empower the global competitiveness of U.S.-based, transformative technologies and industries – from bio, to advanced materials, to AI and quantum, and more. Two dozen leaders from across sectors debated, assessed, and worked together to frame an initial draft of principles. I want to thank Phyllis Marquitz, Senior Vice President at IFF, and ANSI President and CEO Laurie Locascio for their support and engagement.
Looking ahead, the Council team is advancing several important initiatives:
- We are receiving input from our members and working to evolve a 10X policy initiative around “Advanced Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Zones.” Thanks to many of you for responding so positively to the concept and working to provide further insights, as well as thinking of how you might support and grow such an AIM Zone in your own region. Much more to come.
- Following the Nebraska edition of the “Competitiveness Conversations Across America,” we are working to scope a series of task forces to explore issues raised across the bioeconomy value chain.
- In the coming weeks, we will release summary reports from the recent “Competitiveness Conversations Across America,” as well as the Technology Leadership & Strategy Initiative’s (TLSI) Dialogue 32, which took place in Fort Worth at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II production line.
- And we are seeking interest from our Members to host a 2027 edition of the “Competitiveness Conversations Across America.” If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please contact our EVP and COO Chad Evans.
A final note: I invite you to join us for a landmark moment – the 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner and 2026 National Competitiveness Forum, taking place December 16-17 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.
As we celebrate four decades of impact, we will bring together our members and other critical leaders to chart the actions needed to define the competitiveness drivers for the coming decades. The NCF will feature an ambitious agenda to secure U.S. productivity and economic growth, prosperity, and security. (Please contact Chad Evans for registration details, as Council Members receive a significant discount).
To support the 40th Gala and the 2026 NCF, sponsorships are available, with a range of benefits. We are grateful to an initial slate of early sponsors, including the University of Colorado Boulder; the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the University of Texas at San Antonio; and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Council has set an ambitious sponsorship goal, critical to the success of our flagship annual gathering and to sustaining our year-round work advancing U.S. competitiveness. Thank you for considering this opportunity. Click here to view the sponsorship brochure.
We are grateful for your support of the Council and your commitment to advancing U.S. competitiveness.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Wince-Smith
President & CEO
Council on Competitiveness
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Read the full edition of the July 2026, Compete Connect newsletter, including much more about the Council's upcoming engagement opportunities and initiatives led by Council Members, below:
