National Competitiveness

Please join ITIF for an important policy conference on what U.S. policymakers must do to prevent America from suffering a catastrophic defeat in its techno-economic-trade war with China. At stake are vital production capabilities in the advanced, traded-sector industries that provide the foundation for economic strength and national security in the 21st century.

Join ITIF on Capitol Hill for an expert panel discussing the growing competition between the United States and China for global biopharmaceutical leadership.

Join us at the GTIPA (Global Trade & Innovation Policy Alliance) Summit 2026.

Eliminating harmful NEPA review is a necessary reform that will help America continue to lead in space innovation. However, the NPRM's uniform waiver across environmental laws and launch and reentry sites forgoes the risk-based, evidentiary approach that justifies deregulatory action.

Heavy dependence on Chinese APIs creates risks to the drug supply and national security. To reduce dependence, U.S. policy should support domestic and allied production through the advanced manufacturing innovation, tax incentives, import limits, regulatory reforms, improved analysis, and targeted procurement, including strategic stockpiling.

The number of venture capital deals involving unicorns—firms valued at $1 billion or more—is growing, with $245.6 billion invested over 225 transactions in Q1 alone. 78 percent of this value was raised by just 5 firms.

The Democratic Party increasingly assumes the economy runs on autopilot, weakening its ability to articulate a serious vision for American economic strength.

Recent changes to science and immigration policy are making scientists reconsider building their careers in the United States. To preserve America’s competitive advantage, policymakers should ensure stable federal research funding, protect merit-based peer review, and modernize high-skill immigration policy.

Watch now for an expert panel discussion on the growing challenge of retaining scientific talent in the United States. Panelists examined whether recent departures signal the beginning of a broader trend, what factors are driving scientists to leave, and which policies can help the United States retain top researchers and bolster innovation and economic competitiveness.

NIH and other federal agencies must adopt a more comprehensive framework for measuring scientific impact, one that captures industry outputs such as new drug development, industry investment in university research, the translation of discoveries into commercial and clinical outcomes, the depth of international scientific partnerships, and the strength of the biomedical talent pipeline.