Dear Council on Competitiveness Community,
As we move into summer, having paid our respects to America’s military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedoms, we continue to build momentum toward our country’s 250th birthday and our own 40th anniversary celebration this December. Please make sure to save the dates for this special edition of the National Competitiveness Forum: December 16-17 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel – and to consider a significant sponsorship for this seminal event.
In this pivotal year, the Council’s agenda — and the urgency of our mission — is heating up, with significant opportunities for the Council community to engage in the critical work of our 40-year-old mission to drive the nation’s productivity and economic growth, while advancing the global success of goods and services made and created in the United States, and increasing the living standards for every American.
Earlier this month, we convened a summer meeting of our Board, Executive Committee, and National Commissioners. I want to thank Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton for hosting us in the historic Gallup headquarters for an outstanding day of discussion. Our purpose was two-fold – to review and fine-tune a special, 40th anniversary “competitiveness landscape report” documenting how America and Americans are doing; and to develop a range of potentially transformative policy recommendations stemming from the findings of the data-driven report.
- Jim Clifton provided a provocative and eye-opening assessment of U.S. employment and unemployment – arguing traditional data sources greatly underestimate U.S. unemployment. (See this month’s “Council Insight.”)
- Council EVP, COO, and Board Secretary Chad Evans walked the leadership group through a conversation around this piece. We will have more to come, as we advance to a final iteration.
- Prof. Ram Charan offered a novel overview of global competitiveness, framed by the significant China challenge.
And I had the opportunity to shepherd the second half of the meeting, focusing our members’ attention on a series of potential “10X” policy recommendations to address many of the macro challenges exposed in the report. One of these recommendations is a call for a new set of "Advanced Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Zones.” We envision AIM Zones as geographically anchored, sector-specific ecosystems designed to scale at speed the research, technology, and innovation of critical technologies to production and the marketplace.
Turning from our significant meeting in DC, I am proud to report our series of “Competitiveness Conversations Across America” continues to shine a light on the regional innovation ecosystems powering the next economy.
- My latest Forbes.com article highlights a range of best and next practices – uncovered in our March Competitiveness Conversation – bubbling to the surface in the Maryland innovation ecosystem
- In April, I co-hosted with the University of Nebraska System President Jeffrey Gold, the next edition of our “Competitiveness Conversations Across America.” This Conversation focused on Nebraska’s key role in the nation’s fast-growing bioeconomy. Key speakers for this meaningful dialogue included: Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly; U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary and Chief Scientist Scott Hutchins; Gen. (Ret.) Anthony J. Cotton, former Commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Primient and Sustainea CEOs, Jim Stutelberg and Gustavo Sergi; and many more – all exploring the strategic actions needed to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in this critical domain.
The Competitiveness Conversations next head to San Diego. On July 21, I will co-host this 13th edition with UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, focusing on “Building the Next Economy’s Innovation." (Register for the San Diego Conversation here.)
- The San Diego program will explore the technologies and capabilities shaping the next economy — including AI, transformative computing, quantum, biotechnology, the future of healthcare, advanced energy, autonomous systems, and national security innovation.
- We are honored to feature a range of the region’s and nation’s key leaders at the heart of these innovation drivers, including: Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego; Mark Cafferty, President and CEO of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation; Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution and Council Chair Emeritus; Laurie Locascio, CEO of ANSI; Kimberly Budil, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director; UC San Diego leaders Corinne Peek-Asa, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Al Pisano, Professor and Dean of Jacobs School of Engineering, Paul Roben, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Technology Commercialization; and many others.
- In conjunction with the Conversation, the Council, IFF, ANSI and others will convene a special workshop focused on crafting a policy toolkit for U.S. policymakers – to help them navigate the path to developing the regulatory and standards frameworks to support and advance emerging, transformative technologies.
If you are interested in learning more about the San Diego Competitiveness Conversation and/or this special workshop, please contact Chad Evans at [email protected].
A final note as we turn to June: in less than two weeks, our Technology Leadership and Strategy Initiative (TLSI) will convene in Fort Worth. Lockheed Martin Vice President – and TLSI co-chair – Tahllee Bayrnard will host TLSI Dialogue 32 at the company’s F-35 production facility. The co-chairs – including Sally Morton, EVP, Arizona State University and Patricia Falcone, Deputy Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – will guide participants in a robust discussion around the Council’s competitiveness landscape report and charting a new agenda for the initiative. TLSI participants will also tour one of the world’s most sophisticated manufacturing facilities.
As always, we welcome our members’ support of and engagement in our ambitious action agenda. And please be in touch with me should you have any questions or suggestions to amplify the Council’s impact in our 40th anniversary year.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Wince-Smith
President & CEO
Council on Competitiveness
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Read the full edition of the May 2026, Compete Connect newsletter, including much more about the Council's upcoming engagement opportunities and initiatives led by Council Members, below:
