While the U.S. once led the world in IT R&D, in the last decade other nations have caught up, as a share of total R&D.

Expanding the R&D credit would spur job creation and innovation.

ITIF Senior Analyst Stephen Ezell’s article examines how the United States has lost its lead in developing innovation policies

In this article Rob Atkinson argues that policymakers too often take their cues on economic policy from neoclassical economic doctrine that does not appreciate the importance of innovation.

Although once offering the most generous R&D tax credit in the world, the United States now ranks 17th out of the 30 OECD countries.

The ideal fiscal stimulus measure not only creates jobs and drives economic activity in the short run but also boosts quality of life and economic growth in the medium and long run. Support for scientific research in the stimulus package accomplishes both goals. In this report, ITIF finds that spurring an additional $20 billion investment in our national research infrastructure will create or retain approximately 402,000 American jobs for one year.

In the Fall 2008/2009 issue of the Yale Journal of Law and Technology, ITIF lays out a framework for the new administration’s technology policy to help spur growth and progress throughout the economy and government.

Many forward-thinking countries have made innovation-led economic development a centerpiece of their national economic strategies during the past decade. While many nations have taken the innovation challenge to heart and put in place a host of policies to spur innovation, the United States has done little, consequently falling behind in innovation policies and risking falling behind in innovation performance as well. This article compares U.S. innovation policy to that of other leading industrialized countries across five topic areas: programs to establish civilian technology and innovation promotion agencies; services innovation initiatives; national levels of R&D funding; tax incentives for research and development; and policies regarding high-skill immigration.

The only way to solve the global warming problem is through support of a dramatically expanded and improved CO2 reduction R&D program.

In our 2007 report Digital Prosperity: Understanding the Economic Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution ITIF documented how IT, since the mid-1990s, has been the principal driver of increased economic growth not only in the United States but also in many other nations. However, IT is also at the core of dramatic improvements in the quality of life for individuals around the world. In this new report, we show how IT is the key enabler of many, if not most, of today’s key innovations and improvements in our lives and society—from better education and health care, to a cleaner and more energy-efficient environment, to safer and more secure communities and nations.