The United States faces fierce competition from other countries in emerging technologies. Our fiercest competitor is China, which is reaping the benefits of decades of heightened R&D investment, absorption and theft of foreign technologies and IP, and expanded geopolitical engagement. Falling behind strategic competitors like China in the global innovation race would severely undermine U.S. competitiveness for decades. This growing threat has underscored the need to strengthen the United States’ position as an innovation superpower to sustain its economic and national security strength.
The technologies that are reshaping society and the global economy are being rapidly developed and deployed. It is estimated that artificial intelligence (AI) systems alone could contribute $16 trillion to global GDP by 2030, making AI the largest commercial opportunity in the next economy. The ongoing convergence between disruptive technologies is what will revolutionize industries and create new competitive advantages for nations that lead their development.
In the 2020 report, Competing in the Next Economy, the Commission identified ten critical technologies with the greatest potential to create economic and societal value over the coming decades:
In Phase 2 of the National Commission, the Developing and Deploying Disruptive Tech at Speed and Scale working group is striving to answer questions like:
To learn more about the National Commission on Innovation & Competitiveness Frontiers, please contact Council on Competitiveness Executive Vice President Chad Evans at [email protected].