Dialogue 32 gathered TLSI members and distinguished guests at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas facility, headquarters of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and home of the F-35 Lightning II production line, for a highly productive day focused on framing the next era of U.S. competitiveness as the Council marks its 40th anniversary. Attendees responded to select findings from the Council's draft competitiveness landscape review and offered critique and ideas on Advanced Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Zones, one of the transformational "10x" recommendations the Council is developing for its 40th anniversary and the 2026 National Competitiveness Forum (NCF) in December. Discussion produced proposals for a companion policy paper that would translate the AIM Zone concept into specific enabling policy changes, and for a renewed international engagement strategy with priority partners including Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and India. The day concluded with a tour of the F-35 Lightning II production line.
