Reports & Briefings

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

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April 8, 2019
The Case Against Taxing Robots
Given that the economy has been in an unprecedented productivity growth slump—and the baby boom retirement wave is rising—taxing automation equipment ranks as a singularly bad policy idea.
April 8, 2019
Is China Catching Up to the United States in Innovation?
If China were only a copier, then the competitive threat to advanced economies would be limited. But there is no reason to believe China won’t follow the path of “Asian tigers” that rapidly evolved from copiers to innovators, which poses a serious threat.
April 2, 2019
FY 2020 Energy Innovation Funding: Congress Should Push the Pedal to the Metal
The Trump administration has once again proposed massive cuts to energy RD&D. Lawmakers should not give this year’s budget proposal any greater credence than they have given the last two. Congress should instead continue down the path of elevating innovation in clean energy as a national priority.
April 1, 2019
The False Appeal of Data Nationalism: Why the Value of Data Comes From How It’s Used, Not Where It’s Stored
To maximize the economic and societal benefits of data and digital technologies, policymakers should resist the “data localization” trap and focus instead on the fundamentals of ICT adoption.
March 27, 2019
Energy Storage RD&D in the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal
Federal funding for energy storage RD&D is more vital than ever. The administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2020 includes a new advanced energy storage initiative with laudable goals, but insufficient funding and inadequate reach across federal agencies.
March 26, 2019
Promoting European Growth, Productivity, and Competitiveness by Taking Advantage of the Next Digital Technology Wave
The EU has an opportunity to make major strides in the next wave of digital transformation. But it will need to adopt a forward-looking policy perspective that focuses on the benefits of connectivity, automation, and smart systems for Europe’s economy and society.
March 25, 2019
Assessing How Brazil Would Benefit From Joining the ITA
The Information Technology Agreement lowers tariffs on ICT products, which lowers their cost and spurs uptake and adoption among businesses and consumers. For Brazil, that could boost GDP nearly a full percentage point in 10 years.
March 25, 2019
Healthy Funding: The Critical Role of Investing in NIH to Boost Health and Lower Costs
NIH funding is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing the societal costs of illnesses. Congress should increase the NIH budget and then maintain regular, steady increases.
March 11, 2019
Trump Budget Shortchanges Energy Innovation
DOE’s clean energy RD&D portfolio is essential to the U.S. energy innovation ecosystem. Instead of slashing it, as the administration has proposed, Congress should elevate energy innovation as a national priority and continue to expand it.
March 5, 2019
The Clean Energy Dividend: Military Investment in Energy Technology and What It Means for Civilian Energy Innovation
The Defense Department will invest $1.6 billion this year in research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) that is directly related to energy. This report recommends how to leverage those investments for civilian energy innovation without compromising their military value.

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