Innovation Files Blog

The United States is the global power in space, but insufficient spaceport infrastructure threatens the growth of the American space industry. Congress, NASA, and Space Force must address the problem before it undermines U.S. leadership.

The United States risks falling further behind China in humanoid robotics unless policymakers adopt a national strategy to strengthen domestic production, accelerate adoption, and scale the industry.

Labor unions have claimed that General Motors laid off more than 1,000 workers at its Factory Zero EV facility because it installed 50 AI-integrated manufacturing robots, but the layoffs were far more likely driven by weaker-than-expected EV demand and shifting production priorities. Policymakers should focus on helping workers adapt to automation through retraining rather than resisting productivity-enhancing technologies.

New U.S. foreign direct investment rose nearly 50 percent in 2025 after three years of decline. Policymakers should build on this momentum by prioritizing policies that attract more greenfield investment and strengthen American competitiveness.

The digital economy includes firms and individuals that sell digital services or products, operate physical infrastructure foundational to the digital economy, or manufacture hardware or software that supports digital infrastructure. It was valued at $4.9 trillion in 2024, and it supported 28.4 million jobs.

The UK is considering new requirements for nudity-scanning software on children's devices that would further expand its controversial online safety regime. While intended to protect children, the proposal would undermine privacy, anonymity, and free speech, and the UK should instead pursue more targeted, privacy-preserving measures.

Brazil has become a hotbed for Chinese investment, with more than $6 billion in incoming Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025, accounting for over 10 percent of China’s total FDI that year.

If AWS and Azure are designated under the DMA, the law’s intentional targeting of U.S. tech platforms will be almost impossible to hide.

Innovation not only gives rise to market power, but market power fosters innovation by enabling and incentivizing the firms that possess it to make the investments innovation requires.

U.S. visa policies are limiting the flow of foreign expertise that is critical to strengthening American manufacturing, innovation, and scientific leadership. Congress should create a dedicated visa category with expedited processing for technical experts and researchers who advance U.S. industrial competitiveness.