U.S. Innovation and Competition Act-Is the U.S. Trying to Launch Past Its Competition?

The Senate passes the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (US Senate S.1260) in an effort to create stronger technology and research driven competitive advantages on a national level. For some time the US been getting bested by our rivals because we were not seeing the patterns and adjusting accordingly to capitalize on our innovative strengths. While we are still the primary market leader, large countries like China have developed technologies that rival our own and are pushing their intellectual capacity to challenge our scientists, professors, and entrepreneurs. 

Its kindof our own fault! We took our technology to the low cost provider and in turn allowed them to grow at our own expense.  Bad policy mixed with too much focus on profits caught us by surprise. Doing new things in new ways means we should consider looking not only today but also 5, 10, 20, and if possible 30 years into the future to put such decisions in appropriate context. You may not be interested in reading the whole Bill (Its going to take me a minute) so you may want to browse United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA): A Primer by Tom Lee and Juan Londono.

If your a nerd and you like technology this is going to be hay day (or hey day) for you. Law makers are pushing advanced technologies to a level we haven't seen before. There will be an attempt to surpass our rivals. That means no longer sidelining STEM and other programs to the "maybe if we have some resources available" status to "lets put programs like this first in line". We are reorienting ourselves to new challenges.

According to Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer, “Around the globe, authoritarian governments believe that squabbling democracies like ours can’t unite around national priorities.....Well, let me tell you something: I believe that they are wrong. I believe that this legislation will enable the United States to out-innovate, out-produce, and out-compete the world in the industries of the future.”(Franck, 2021, para 13-14.)

Bill Overview:

In the bill, "To establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub program, to require a strategy and report on economic security, science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other purposes." (S.1260, para1).

Key Factors of Focus:

(A) Artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomy, and related advances.

(B) High performance computing, semiconductors, and advanced computer hardware and software.

(C) Quantum information science and technology.

(D) Robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing.

(E) Natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or mitigation.

(F) Advanced communications technology and immersive technology.

(G) Biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, and synthetic biology.

(H) Data storage, data management, distributed ledger technologies, and cybersecurity, including biometrics.

(I) Advanced energy, batteries, and industrial efficiency, including advanced nuclear technologies for the purposes of electric generation (consistent with section 15 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1874).

(J) Advanced materials science, including composites and 2D materials.


A Few Thoughts:

Thoughts become reality when they have practical utility and the resources needed to create execution. Research and development resources have a habit of gravitating toward elite educated scientists. While such individuals are important and often successful idea generators they are at times limited by the same elite social and academic circles that give them those opportunities. "Out of the Box" thinking often requires creativity in thought that is stifled when there are too many distracting expectations.

We will need to change our scientific mix to open up the lines of development to a upcoming scientific class that is much more diverse in background. New technology does rely on a small group of individuals on the top but on a balance between new ideas (less indoctrination) mixed with scientific thinking (education in science). Some of this money should go to people we are not "well connected" in order to ensure that it has the maximum opportunities for developmental leaps. 

That inclusiveness might be hard for government officials/administrators to complete because they have become accustomed to using those same social networks to be elected and maintain their positions. The challenges we face require us to do a better job of seeking out individuals in a more active capacity that have potential to build aspects of systems others can't. Simply hiring the same people through convenience will mean results will be limited to the developmental lines of the past and less opportunity for "ground breaking" discoveries in the future. 

I would do a 60% -70% funding with individuals/organizations that have a track record of producing results and I would consider 30% to 40% to people who may do things differently so they can fill gaps in information in new ways (I'm really not trying to be too specific but just highlight the point that new technologies and innovation often comes from sources that are outside typical personal and financial connections within government. Sometimes its about novelty.)

The program is a launch to something bigger that will likely develop unknown technologies in the future. Our administrators may find that if they expand government money through tax deductible R&D expenditures and pooled industry research (to support multi-industry cluster development and in turn economic synergy) we may find net positives throughout our nation and manufacturing capacities that reduce costs and improve financial budgets. Why have the government pay for it all when we might be able to triple or quadruple the resources in investment by encouraging companies to do the same?

I have been working a theory that raises the possibility of advanced technology development in key locations (Delta County is an Example but there are other locations with unique mix of potential that can advanced other industries.) to develop proto-type products for immediate space, military, outdoor, entrepreneurial and advanced manufacturing might lead to butterfly mass production throughout the country. Its not finished but you can read Theory of Transactional Clusters (Its an unfinished idea!).