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
April 11, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the FCC Regarding Submarine Cable Landing Licenses
Reforming the submarine cable landing license review process is essential for maintaining US leadership in global telecommunications infrastructure while ensuring appropriate national security protections.
April 7, 2025|Blogs
Make Foreign Adversary Bills Smarter
State lawmakers are moving to restrict contracts with foreign adversaries, but many bills miss the mark—failing to reduce actual security risks while driving up costs and limiting access to key technologies. A smarter path forward would prioritize transparency, collaboration with federal agencies, and a focused strategy targeting high-risk components.
February 13, 2025|Blogs
Salt Typhoon Exposes US Cyber Vulnerabilities
To strengthen U.S. cybersecurity leadership and effectively counter cyber threats, the administration should enhance interagency coordination with a central cybercrime database, collaborate with the private sector to address cybersecurity gaps in critical infrastructure, standardize data breach reporting, and build international coalitions for global cyber norms.
January 24, 2025|Blogs
Why Big Tech Matters for National Security
America’s leading tech companies strengthen U.S. technological superiority by making massive investments in advanced technologies like quantum computing and AI, which are crucial strategic assets in an era of intensifying competition with China.
January 21, 2025|Blogs
America Has a National Security Strategy. Where Is Its National Competitiveness Strategy?
What is needed is the political will to challenge the status quo and make a radical shift from the “marketist” approach to a “producerist” approach to the economy by focusing first and foremost on how to restore America’s advanced-industry dominance.
January 16, 2025|Events
Balancing National Security and Economic Competitiveness in AI Export Controls
Watch now for a panel discussion on the proposed AI export control framework’s implications for U.S. competitiveness, the global AI ecosystem, and national security. Panelists will discuss the risks of the proposed approach, explore alternative policy strategies, and discuss the path forward to balance economic, security, and foreign policy objectives.
January 6, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Amicus Brief Regarding TikTok, Inc. v. Garland
Banning Americans from accessing a social media application that millions use every day is unprecedented in our country. If the such a ban goes into effect, it will cause a far-reaching disruption in Americans’ ability to engage with the content and audiences of their choice online.
November 14, 2024|Presentations
Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on National Security and the Economy
Daniel Castro speaks about the impact of emerging technologies on national security and the economy at the Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad, hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
September 24, 2024|Testimonies & Filings
Testimony to the US House Oversight Committee: Defending America From the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part III
The best way for U.S. policymakers to think about China, at least in the realm of technology and industry, is that we are engaged in a form of war: China is seeking to defeat the United States on the techno-economic battlefield.
September 20, 2024|Knowledge Base Articles
To Do: Apply ICT Service Reviews to EU Firms
The Commerce Department should apply ICT Service Reviews to EU firms that conduct transactions with U.S. adversaries.