News & Updates

Recent data on global manufacturing output spotlights a stark reality: China now accounts for 35 percent of the world’s manufacturing, nearly three times the United States’ share. The remaining 53 percent is spread across the rest of the world. This concentration is of strategic significance. Manufacturing underpins innovation ecosystems, supply chain resilience, national security, and […]

Dear Council on Competitiveness Community, In this season of Thanksgiving, the Council team is grateful for so much — starting with our members and the broader Council community. Because of you, the Council has had the opportunity to engage in and lead some of the most important policy conversations facing our nation for nearly 40 […]

Reflections from the Global Federation of Competitiveness Board Council Meeting at the University of Pittsburgh When I stood before the global federation of competitiveness leaders gathered at University of Pittsburgh last month, I opened with three numbers that frame our current reality: One trillion dollars in global AI infrastructure investment over the next two years. […]

Dear Council on Competitiveness Community, We are less than two months out from the Council’s premier annual gathering — our 2025 Gala Dinner and National Competitiveness Forum (NCF) — which is coming together as a truly extraordinary event. I am excited to share more soon about the agenda — and special guests. This year’s NCF […]

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data underscore a pivotal trend in the global race for innovation leadership. In 2023, the United States invested $823 billion in research and development (R&D) — the largest total globally — but China is rapidly closing the gap, reaching $781 billion and growing nearly twice as fast (8.9 […]

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 […]

The numbers tell a stark story: China now graduates roughly 1.25 million engineersand computer scientists annually—five times the U.S. total of 250,000. Over just twodecades, China’s output of bachelor’s degrees in these fields increased tenfold,master’s degrees by 15 times, and doctorates by 20 times. Meanwhile, U.S. growthhas been comparatively modest, widening the domestic gap in […]

The regulation of public utilities is an arcane art practiced in the U.S. at the state and federal government levels. Public utilities, also called public service companies, include such vital infrastructure industries as electricity, natural gas distribution and water. These private companies are granted monopoly franchises to serve specified communities. In return for the monopoly […]

Having just launched in November 2022, ChatGPT has grown to 800 million weekly users as of May 2025. In July 2025, OpenAI data show that states including Utah, Vermont, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Montana, and California have the fastest quarter-over-quarter user growth of the service. […]

For more than four decades, the Council on Competitiveness has been defined and strengthened by its remarkable members and leaders. This tradition continues with the election of J. Erik Fyrwald, CEO of International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), as Chair of the Council. Erik brings decades of leadership in science-driven innovation, sustainability, and global partnerships—experience that […]