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United Kingdom

August 23, 2024

Labour Should Prioritize Spreading Innovation To Succeed Where the Conservatives Fell Short

Labour aims to revive the UK’s economy by focusing on spreading innovation across all sectors, addressing the nation's productivity challenges through practical measures. By building on existing projects and ensuring the adoption of new technologies, particularly in both high-tech and low-tech sectors, Labour can deliver visible results and drive meaningful growth across the country.

August 8, 2024

Blaming Social Media for Political Violence in the UK Won’t Stop Future Riots

In response to the Southport stabbing and ensuing UK riots, many have blamed social media for spreading misinformation that incited violence. However, this focus on social media ignores deeper societal issues and deflects from the government's own shortcomings.

August 5, 2024

Growing Advanced Industries in the United Kingdom Will Be a Heavy Lift for Starmer’s Labour Government

The United Kingdom would have a lot of ground to make up in advanced industries just to get back to where it stood in the 1980s. But with the right policies, it can at least aspire to move up the standings and surpass the United States on a pound-for-pound basis.

July 31, 2024

What To Expect for AI From the UK’s New Labour Government

Following the King’s Speech two weeks ago, which outlined the new government’s legislative agenda, three key issues are likely to dominate UK AI policy discussions: AI legislation, boosting the UK’s AI ecosystem, and unlocking AI-driven productivity in the public sector. Crucially, the thread tying these three issues together is Labour’s desire for economic growth, which the UK technology sector should take as a positive step in the long road to homegrown AI innovation.

July 15, 2024

What Does the UK Public Think About AI?

A nationally representative survey of more than 2,000 adults in the UK, conducted by Public First in partnership with the Center for Data Innovation to track how public attitudes and perceptions of artificial intelligence.

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Canada

September 3, 2024

A Techno-Economic Agenda for Canada’s Next Federal Government

Innovation, productivity, and competitiveness must be top priorities for Canada’s next federal government, not sidenotes or vague aspirations to be addressed with little more than lip service.

July 26, 2024

Comments to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Regarding Legislated Procurement Targets for SMEs

Legislated procurement targets for SMEs should be a tool to stimulate technology R&D and commercialize Canadian innovations, and not a goal in and of itself. Focusing on firms that develop innovative solutions for government problems will create opportunities for Canadian firms to scale up and drive innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.

July 24, 2024

“Green” Is Not an Economic Growth Strategy

Spurring the transition to clean energy is now widely viewed not just as the key to fighting climate change but also as the silver bullet to restoring economic growth. But it's not. They are separate goals that require separate policies, as Robert Atkinson writes in Research Money.

July 18, 2024

The Digital Services Tax Will Not Be Good for Canada

Canada should drop its Digital Services Tax, which will harm Canadian businesses, startups, and consumers and surely lead to a retaliatory response by the U.S. government.

July 15, 2024

Challenges in Assessing Canadian Competition

The Competition Bureau of Canada’s 2023 report assessing the state of competition in Canada has several methodological and interpretation issues that raise doubts about the conclusion's accuracy. As such, policymakers should not use the report as the foundation of competition policymaking or to justify a more aggressive antitrust regime.

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Africa

June 11, 2024

Comments to Kenya’s Competition Authority Regarding the Draft Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Proposed changes to Kenya’s competition regime will hinder, not help its digital economy. Rather than impose substantial changes based on the false premise that digital markets require special treatment, Kenya should use existing enforcement tools to police its growing digital markets.

August 19, 2019

Comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission Regarding the Digital Economy and Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa

ITIF’s submission focuses on the ITC’s interest in recent developments in the digital economy for key SSA markets, including national and regional regulatory and policy measures and market conditions that affect digital trade.

May 6, 2019

Fact of the Week: Ethiopian Youth Given $300 Start-up Grants at Random had 36 Percent Higher Wages After One Year, But No Effect After Five Years

When attempting to evaluate the effect that a policy intervention can have on development or innovation, researchers and policymakers routinely look to short-term impacts, both out of urgency and because of the difficulty in maintaining contact with participants over several years.

October 22, 2018

Fact of the Week: Adoption of Mobile Money in Kenya Lifted 194,000 Households Out of Extreme Poverty

Over the last decade, mobile money services have brought banking to populations that have lacked formal financial services by allowing users to manage money on their mobile phones. First launched in Kenya in 2007, 96 percent of Kenyan households now use mobile money and can withdraw funds in physical currency from 110,000 agents across the country.

August 29, 2017

The Handheld Cardio-Pad: Tackling Cardiovascular Disease in Africa Through Innovation

Meet Arthur Zang, a 29 year-old Cameroonian engineer who invented the handheld Cardio-Pad, the world’s first medical tablet facilitating heart examinations and remote diagnosis. The Cardio-Pad is a touch-screen tablet device for conducting cardiac tests such as electrocardiograms in remote locations, and then sending the results to cardiologists in city centers often hundreds of miles away.

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Asia-Pacific

September 3, 2024

Comments to Japan’s Fair Trade Commission Regarding the Smartphone Software Competition Promotion Act

The SSCP’s broad per se prohibitions and limited cybersecurity exemption are likely to chill the very innovative behavior that is key to allowing Japan’s smartphone markets to thrive, and risk targeting a leading firm of one of its closest allies.

August 29, 2024

Comments for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Regarding Digital Platform Services

The ACCC should consider digital models beyond the EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, such as those of the United States, Singapore, and Taiwan, which do not involve heavy-handed digital regulations that can stifle the very innovation Australia seeks to foster.

August 20, 2024

Opportunities for APEC To Build Trust in the Digital Economy

Global trade relies heavily on trust, and the Internet amplifies trust challenges due to distance, anonymity, and the vast scale of interactions. To address these challenges, APEC economies should focus on developing socio-technical solutions, like digital IDs and content provenance tools, to improve trust in the digital environment and ensure the safety and security of the digital economy.

August 15, 2024

Comments to the Ministry of Information and Communications on Vietnam’s Digital Technology Industry Draft Law

The Center for Data Innovation submitted these comments to the Ministry of Information and Communications on Vietnam’s draft Law on Digital Technology Industry.

July 29, 2024

Fact of the Week: Social Media Usage Can Improve Information Dissemination and Labor Productivity on Indonesian Rice Farms

A recent working paper found that social media sites such as YouTube and WhatsApp increase the dissemination of information to the Indonesian rice farmers who use them.

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China

September 9, 2024

How Innovative Is China in Quantum?

China’s lead in quantum communications is undeniable, but its overall quantum prowess is limited; without computing breakthroughs, the United States still holds the upper hand.

September 9, 2024

China Is Challenging U.S. Leadership in Quantum Technologies; New Report Finds China Leads in Quantum Communication, Tied in Sensing, Behind in Computing

China dominates the field of quantum communication and roughly matches the United States in the field of quantum sensing, although it lags behind in quantum computing, according to a new report from ITIF.

August 12, 2024

How Experts in China and the United Kingdom View AI Risks and Collaboration

As AI continues to advance, the technology has created many opportunities and risks. Despite significant geopolitical differences, a series of interviews with AI experts in China and the United Kingdom reveals common AI safety priorities, shared understanding of the benefits and risks of open source AI, and agreement on the merits of closer collaboration—but also obstacles to closer partnerships.

August 5, 2024

Podcast: General-Purpose Technologies and the Rise of Great Nations, With Jeffrey Ding

It’s easy to get excited about new breakthroughs, but the real power lies in diffusing technological advances throughout the entire economy.

July 30, 2024

How Innovative Is China in Biotechnology?

China used to be considered a laggard in biotech. But with a comprehensive national strategy and extensive resources now supporting the industry, it is becoming more innovative. In fact, several indicators suggest it is narrowing the innovation gap with global leaders in the West.

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Europe

September 10, 2024

Court of Justice Decisions Continue EU Attacks on US Tech, Says ITIF

Following the Court of Justice’s decision in the long-running Google Shopping case, ITIF released the following statement from Joseph V. Coniglio, director of antitrust and innovation.

September 9, 2024

Podcast: Europe Needs to Focus on Solving Its 30-Year Innovation Problem, With David Evans

Europe has been enormously unsuccessful in creating substantial digital businesses for over three decades.

August 12, 2024

How Experts in China and the United Kingdom View AI Risks and Collaboration

As AI continues to advance, the technology has created many opportunities and risks. Despite significant geopolitical differences, a series of interviews with AI experts in China and the United Kingdom reveals common AI safety priorities, shared understanding of the benefits and risks of open source AI, and agreement on the merits of closer collaboration—but also obstacles to closer partnerships.

July 25, 2024

Four AI Priorities for the EU’s New Political Leaders

Europe's evolving political landscape, marked by recent elections and changing priorities, has significant implications for AI policy. While EU policymakers focus on defense, security, and economic growth, integrating AI could bolster these efforts.

July 11, 2024

Comments to the Italian Competition Authority Regarding Draft DMA Enforcement Regulation

The Italian Competition Authority has a unique opportunity to shape a healthy enforcement landscape for the DMA within the EU.

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Global

August 28, 2024

Alzheimer’s Disease Next Game Changer: TauRx Pharmaceutical’s Novel Tau Aggregation Inhibitor

TauRx is revolutionizing Alzheimer's treatment with a novel drug that targets toxic brain proteins, offering fresh hope in the fight against this devastating disease.

August 16, 2024

Innovative Cure For All: How CurASeal’s Plant-Based Technology Advances Bleeding Control and Wound Healing

InCurA is revolutionizing MENA's medical landscape with AI-optimized, locally produced hemostatic solutions like CurASeal, bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility while reducing reliance on global imports.

August 12, 2024

US Development Financing Needs to Stop Rewarding Nations Whose Policies Harm US Companies and Workers

The U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which was created to serve counterweight to China’s Belt-and-Road initiative, rewards countries whose intellectual property and data policies harm American commercial interests and jobs. That needs to stop.

June 10, 2024

How Generative AI Is Changing the Global South’s IT Services Sector

Given the potential for countries to reshore and automate previously outsourced IT occupations, the Global South’s IT services appear vulnerable to the displacing effects of AI. Yet, existing policy responses may be insufficient to address that challenge.

May 29, 2024

State Department Risks Overlooking Potential of AI For Human Rights

President Biden’s 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) directed the State Department to work with other agencies and stakeholders to develop guidance for identifying and managing human rights risks associated with AI. As the State Department prepares this guidance, it should emphasize that in many cases, the risk of inaction—the missed opportunities to use AI to improve human rights—presents the most significant threat, and it should prioritize deploying AI to support and enhance human rights.

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Latin America

July 15, 2024

Comments to Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority Regarding Processing of Personal Data of Children and Adolescents

A combination of privacy-protective age verification systems utilizing digital forms of identification and AI, parental controls that are readily available and easy to use, and greater transparency from digital platforms would increase children’s safety and privacy, encourage innovation in improved safety and privacy controls, and better inform policymakers and parents on next steps to protect children.

June 7, 2024

Mexico, Maize, and Food Sovereignty

Mexico's newly elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum, can reverse President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's anti-innovation policies toward genetically modified maize, and improve the lives of small farmers across Mexico.

May 15, 2024

Assessing University-Industry Research Attention in Latin America and the Caribbean

The current scope of University-Industry (U-I) collaboration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) opens opportunities for research to progress in innovative directions.

May 13, 2024

Comments to Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) Regarding Digital Markets and Competition

Regulation in the digital sector should only be necessary to remedy market failure that cannot be addressed by the current legal framework, which simply is not true.

May 2, 2024

Comments to Brazil’s Finance Ministry Regarding Digital Markets Regulation

As Brazil crafts its own Digital Markets Act in the mold of the EU’s, it should be aware of the potential shortcomings and unsubstantiated advantages associated with such wide-ranging economic regulation within the digital market landscape.

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