Reports & Briefings

For brief overviews of how key technologies work and why they matter, see ITIF’s “Technology Explainer Series.”

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January 25, 2021
Five Free-Market Myths About Increasing Federal Research Funding
When it comes to federal investment in science, the free-marketers’ argument that the private sector can and will do most of the heavy lifting and that government can let federal support for R&D stagnate or even shrink is mistaken.
January 25, 2021
Who Is Winning the AI Race: China, the EU, or the United States? — 2021 Update
The United States still holds a substantial overall lead in AI, but China has continued to reduce the gap in some important areas and the EU continues to fall behind.
January 19, 2021
Side Effects: How Renewable Energy Policies Drive Innovation in Complementary Grid Technologies
Policies that support renewable energy technologies also drive innovation in complementary technologies for energy storage, grid efficiency, and fast-ramping combustion. Public R&D funding has the most consistent impact and should be increased.
January 19, 2021
A U.S. Grand Strategy for the Global Digital Economy
For America to remain the global leader in IT, the U.S. government must formulate a grand strategy grounded in a new doctrine of “digital realpolitik.” The first priority should be advancing U.S. interests by spreading the U.S. digital innovation policy system and constraining digital adversaries, especially China. This will entail working with allies when possible—and pressuring them when necessary.
January 11, 2021
Monopoly Myths: Are Superstar Firms Stifling Competition or Just Beating It?
Antitrust advocates allege market-leading “superstar” firms—particularly in digital industries—succeed through anticompetitive conduct. But evidence shows they outperform competitors by investing in innovative technologies and global operations that create more value.
January 4, 2021
The Year Ahead: Twenty-Four Ways Congress and the Biden Administration Can Advance Good Tech Policy in 2021
If Washington wants to show voters that government is doing something more than simply saying no or being ideologically dug in, then lawmakers and the administration should work to advance a set of actionable technology policy measures that would grow the U.S. economy.
December 21, 2020
An Innovation Agenda for Advanced Renewable Energy Technologies
Innovation in renewable energy technologies, tapping solar, wind, geothermal, and water resources, could unlock massive decarbonization opportunities. But it will not happen without increased, sustained, and well-targeted federal investments.
December 17, 2020
The Role and Value of Standard Contractual Clauses in EU-U.S. Digital Trade
SCCs are a widely used legal tool to transfer personal data out of the EU, but courts and regulators are making them costlier and more complex. This is a sign of Europe’s march toward de facto data localization—a threat to transatlantic digital trade that policymakers must avoid.
December 14, 2020
How to Address Privacy Questions Raised by the Expansion of Augmented Reality in Public Spaces
Augmented reality (AR) amplifies some of the most pressing privacy concerns for bystanders in the digital world and combines them in new ways. Policymakers should develop safeguards that allow for shifting perceptions of privacy in public space.
December 7, 2020
How the United States Can Increase Access to Supercomputing
The United States has an imbalanced portfolio of high-performance computing resources that is failing to meet growing demand among artificial intelligence researchers. To fill the gaps, Congress should authorize at least $10 billion over the next five years for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

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