Defense and National Security
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As nations engage in a race for global advantage in innovation, ITIF champions a new policy paradigm that ensures businesses and national economies can compete successfully by spurring public and private investment in foundational areas such as research, skills, and 21st century infrastructure. Our work on defense and national security covers topics such as weapons systems, innovation in defense and homeland security agencies, and the role of defense R&D in spurring innovation and competitiveness.

Nonresident Senior Fellow
ITIF Center for Clean Energy Innovation and Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability
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Time for a New National Innovation System for Security and Prosperity

If the United States is to stay ahead of China militarily and technologically, it will need to put in place a new national innovation system that focuses on making U.S. advanced technology leadership—in both innovation and production—the central organizing principle of U.S. economic and national security policy.
More Publications and Events
September 17, 2025|Events
The Impact of Foreign Regulation on US Technology Leadership and Security
Please join ITIF’s Aegis Project for an expert panel discussion with leaders from the Council on Global Competitiveness and Innovation (CGCI) and Shield Capital as we examine the vital role Big Tech plays in U.S. technology leadership and national security.
August 4, 2025|Blogs
South Korea Should Choose Friends Over Foes for Semiconductor Production
South Korea must reduce its reliance on China for both semiconductor exports and raw materials by strengthening alliances with the United States and its partners, aligning with export controls, and building a more secure, diversified supply chain to safeguard its long-term competitiveness in the global chip race.
August 1, 2025|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
Big Tech’s Critical Role in America’s National Security Innovation
Policymakers seeking to rein in or break up market-leading tech firms should consider a more balanced approach that recognizes the crucial role they play in strengthening America in its intensifying economic and geopolitical competition with China.
July 29, 2025|Blogs
Hardening US Infrastructure Before a Potential Iranian Cyber Attack
Iran’s growing cyber capabilities, combined with recent geopolitical tensions, pose a serious threat to U.S. critical infrastructure, requiring urgent federal action to strengthen digital defenses and build long-term resilience.
July 21, 2025|Blogs
Letting US Companies Sell Second-Tier Chips to China Is the Right Move
The Trump administration should maintain export controls where they clearly advance national security. But it should also ensure that U.S. companies can compete globally, reinvest in innovation, and remain central to the technologies that will shape the future.
July 16, 2025|Events
Geofencing AI Chips: Evaluating “Call Home” Mandates for Semiconductor Security
Watch now for an expert discussion surrounding the implications of location verification requirements for AI chips.
July 1, 2025|Blogs
South Korea Should Reform Outdated and Protectionist Mapping Data Restrictions
South Korea’s export restrictions on mapping data act as a protectionist measure that unfairly limits competition from foreign firms. Korean policymakers should reform these rules not only to remove this non-tariff trade barrier but also to ensure that they do not hold back the use of geospatial data by emerging AI tools.
June 16, 2025|Blogs
Texas’s New Cyber Command Offers a Model for Other States
Texas's new Cyber Command Center strengthens defenses against rising cyber threats and builds a long-term cybersecurity workforce—offering a model other states can follow.
May 5, 2025|Blogs
Overly Stringent Export Controls Chip Away at American AI Leadership
While the U.S. government is right to prevent U.S. companies from selling advanced AI technology to the Chinese military, cutting U.S. companies off from the entire Chinese market is a cure worse than the disease. It will ultimately harm both U.S. national security and economic interests.
May 5, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Regarding the UK Government’s China Audit
ITIF offered comments on evidence the UK government should draw on; short- and long-term objectives for the UK-China relationship; areas to engage with China, and areas to draw red lines; how engagement could affect other alliances; and how to assess dependencies on China while strengthening security and resilience.