News & Updates

The United States is on the cusp of a new economic frontier: the bioeconomy — a rapidly expanding, technology-driven sector that will reshape agriculture, energy, materials, and manufacturing while strengthening supply chains and national security. Already valued at more than $4 trillion globally and projected to grow dramatically over the next two decades, the bioeconomy […]

Global economic and geopolitical uncertainty is no longer episodic; it has become structural. Non-financial U.S. corporations are holding approximately $7.9 trillion in liquid assets — roughly 12 percent of their total — a level that reflects elevated interest rates and heightened risk sensitivity rather than capital scarcity.1 At the same time, traditional pathways for deploying […]

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. […]

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 […]

Dear Council on Competitiveness Members and Friends, For four decades, an extraordinary group of members and leaders have defined, strengthened and stretched the Council on Competitiveness—a tradition that continues as we welcome our next Chair. The Council’s Board and Executive Committee have unanimously elected Mr. J. Erik Fyrwald, CEO of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. […]

Washington, DC, August 28, 2025 — Today, the Council on Competitiveness (Council) will announce Mr. J. Erik Fyrwald, CEO, IFF, as its next Chair. The announcement comes in advance of the Council’s September 17-18, 2025, Executive Committee and National Commissioners Meeting in Lafayette, IN, which is themed around the future of the bioeconomy, and will bring […]

The United States faces an increasingly urgent challenge: a growing dependence on China, its economic rival and geopolitical adversary, for critical technologies that underpin both national security and economic stability. Critical minerals for most emerging technologies are now almost wholly mined and processed in China. The United States heavily relies upon China for manufacturing tools […]

How can commercial space operations increase manufacturing competitiveness on earth? How did we get here? In 1990 NASA began planning for the development of a commercial space-launch industry. In 2005 NASA officially implemented the Commercial Orbital Transportation Service program, to bring cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). The result was the emergence of many new […]

The year 2025 is poised to be pivotal for biotechnology and health sciences, a highly dynamic and competitive sector fueled by rapid innovation, lucrative market potential, and an enduring demand for advancements in research and development. Emerging technologies such as gene editing, designing synthetic organisms, and genomic sequencing are revolutionizing the field. The integration of […]

Competing in the Next Economy: Innovating in the Age of Disruption and Discontinuity arrives at a pivotal moment as the United States confronts significant technological and geopolitical transformations. This report includes essential policies for government, state agencies, the private sector, and research institutions that will reinforce the country's standing as a global leader in technology and […]