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Robert D. Atkinson

Robert D. Atkinson

President

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @RobAtkinsonITIF

As founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), recognized as the world’s top think tank for science and technology policy, Robert D. Atkinson leads a prolific team of policy analysts and fellows that is successfully shaping the debate and setting the agenda on a host of critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.

He is an internationally recognized scholar and a widely published author whom The New Republic has named one of the “three most important thinkers about innovation,” Washingtonian Magazine has called a “tech titan,” Government Technology Magazine has judged to be one of the 25 top “doers, dreamers and drivers of information technology,” and the Wharton Business School has given the “Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award.”

A sought-after speaker and valued adviser to policymakers around the world, Atkinson’s books include Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths About Privacy, AI and Today’s Innovation Economy (Palgrave Macmillan, forthcoming 2024), Big is Beautiful: Debunking the Mythology of Small Business (MIT Press, 2018); Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage (Yale, 2012), Supply-Side Follies: Why Conservative Economics Fails, Liberal Economics Falters, and Innovation Economics is the Answer (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006), and The Past And Future Of America’s Economy: Long Waves Of Innovation That Power Cycles Of Growth (Edward Elgar, 2005). He also has conducted groundbreaking research projects and authored hundreds of articles and reports on technology and innovation-related topics ranging from tax policy to advanced manufacturing, productivity, and global competitiveness. He has testified before the United States Congress more than 30 times.

President Clinton appointed Atkinson to the Commission on Workers, Communities, and Economic Change in the New Economy; the Bush administration appointed him chair of the congressionally created National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission; the Obama administration appointed him to the National Innovation and Competitiveness Strategy Advisory Board; as co-chair of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s China-U.S. Innovation Policy Experts Group; to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and the Trump administration appointed him to the G7 Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. The Biden administration appointed him as a member of the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information, and a member of the Export-Import Bank of the United States' Council on China Competition.

Atkinson also served on the UK government’s Place Advisory Group to advise the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation on how policy can drive innovation in more regions. He is a member of the Polaris Council, a body of cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary science and technology policy experts who advise the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) team on emergent and emerging issues.

Atkinson is a member of the Special Competitive Studies Project. He served on the Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age and serves on the boards or advisory councils of the University of Oregon’s Institute for Policy Research and Innovation, and the State Science and Technology Institute. Additionally, Atkinson is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Electronic Government and the Journal of Internet Policy; a member of the Global Innovation Forum Brain Trust; a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; a fellow at the Columbia University Institute of Tele-Information; a fellow of Glocom, a Tokyo-based research institute. He is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service.ice.

Atkinson was previously vice president of the Progressive Policy Institute, where he directed the Technology & New Economy Project. He wrote numerous research reports on technology and innovation policy, covering issues such as broadband telecommunications, e-commerce, e-government, privacy, copyright, R&D tax policy, offshoring, and innovation economics.

Previously, Atkinson served as the first executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Policy Council (RIEPC), a public-private partnership whose members included the state’s governor, legislative leaders, and both corporate and labor leaders. As head of RIEPC, Atkinson was responsible for drafting a comprehensive economic development strategy for the state and working with the legislature and executive branch of government to successfully implement each element of a 10-point action agenda.

Prior to his service in Rhode Island, Atkinson was a project director at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, where, among other projects, he spearheaded The Technological Reshaping of Metropolitan America, a seminal report examining the impact of the information technology revolution on America’s urban areas.

As a respected policy expert and commentator, Atkinson has testified numerous times before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and he appears frequently on news and public affairs programs. Among others, these appearances have included interviews on BBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, and NBC Nightly News.

Atkinson holds a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was awarded the prestigious Joseph E. Pogue Fellowship. He earned his master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Oregon, which named him a distinguished alumnus in 2014.

Recent Publications

March 11, 2024

How Innovative Is China in the Robotics Industry?

China does not yet appear to be leading in robotic innovation, but its domestic production and adoption are growing rapidly, and the Chinese government has prioritized the industry. It is likely only a matter of time before Chinese robotics companies catch up to the leading edge.

March 11, 2024

Podcast: The Interplay of Hype and Skepticism in Autonomous Vehicle Advancements, With Richard Mudge

Amidst the burgeoning advancements in autonomous vehicles, striking a balance between expectation and reality emerges as a challenge.

March 1, 2024

Comments to the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology Regarding the AI and Data Act

If the proposed the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) is implemented as is, Canada may not be able to fully realize the economic benefits that AI will bring.

February 23, 2024

How to Win the Economic War With China

It’s time to move from an Economic Statecraft 1.0 premised on using U.S. strength to support friends and punish adversaries, to an Economic Statecraft 2.0 premised on husbanding U.S. strength while limiting the relative techno-economic advance of China.

February 23, 2024

Comments to the Parliament of Canada Regarding Proposed Amendments to Canadian Competition Law

The Canadian government must ensure that policy, legislative and regulatory approaches support competition and innovation as much as possible. Unfortunately, Bills C-56 and C-59 promise to do exactly the opposite.

February 21, 2024

Boeing Is Too Important to Fail

Any regulatory responses to the recent door-panel failure need to be considered and proportionate, advancing safety while also factoring in the country’s strategic competitiveness.

February 20, 2024

Podcast: Quantum Computing’s Potential to Drive Business Results, With Murray Thom

While quantum computing technology is maturing more slowly than other innovations, its potential is vast.

February 16, 2024

The Case for National Developmentalism

National developmentalism is a third alternative to neoliberalism and neo-New Dealism, according to Robert Atkinson's piece in The Liberal Patriot.

January 29, 2024

Podcast: Using Artificial Intelligence to Augment Workflow, With Nitin Mittal

Used to its full potential, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist employees, improve interactions with customers, and increase efficiency.

January 28, 2024

Abandoning Growth and Increasing Inequality: A Critical Look at Oxfam’s Recommendations for Corporate Regulations

Governments should ignore the message that large firms are harmful and instead allow them to acquire market power legitimately, keep IP rights strong, and reduce corporate tax rates. Doing so will increase innovation and expand the economic pie for everyone.

January 25, 2024

The Real “Reality” of America’s Deindustrializing Economy

A recent CATO report takes liberties with statistics to deny U.S. manufacturing is in decline. But the facts remain: It is. It matters. And we need an industrial policy strategy to address it.

January 22, 2024

National Developmentalism: The Alternative to Neoliberalism and Neo-New Dealism

Neoliberalism’s deficiencies are clear. To address the challenges America now faces, policymakers should adopt the doctrine of national developmentalism and not allow economic policy to swing back toward a revised New Dealism, as it is now doing.

More publications by Robert D. Atkinson

Recent Events and Presentations

March 21, 2024

The Crucial Role of Early-Stage University Research in Clean Energy Innovation

Please join ITIF for an expert panel discussion about a new report examining the role of federal funding for clean energy research conducted by colleges and universities.

September 6, 2023

How Can States Help the CHIPS Act Succeed?

Please join ITIF for a discussion with state leaders about how to successfully implement the CHIPS Act.

July 27, 2023

Climate & Freedom International Coalition Meeting

Rob Atkinson discusses ITIF's P3 paper and why it should be guide for clean energy policy at the Climate and Freedom Coalition Meeting hosted by the Grace Richardson Fund.

July 25, 2023

A Realist Climate Policy: Driving Clean Tech to Price/Performance Parity

Watch now for the release event for the important new report and panel discussion on why P3 must be the new lens governments that governments must use to decide which clean energy technologies to support and how to support them.

July 25, 2023

Differing Perspectives on Antitrust and Big Tech: What Have We Learned?

Rob Atkinson speaks at the Reason Foundation on what we’ve learned in recent antitrust debates and where we go from here.

June 15, 2023

Industry 4.0: Tacit & Formal Manufacturing Knowledge, Technology Transfer, IP

Rob Atkinson spoke about the importance of intellectual property to continued innovation and how it fits into enabling future advanced innovation systems, especially in manufacturing, at an event held by Arizona State University's Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes and George Mason University's Center for Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy.

June 14, 2023

2023 NNCTA Equity and Labor Workshop

Rob Atkinson spoke about energy at a workshop hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

June 13, 2023

Transatlantic Approaches to AI Regulation in Times of Great Power Competition

Rob Atkinson spoke as a panelist about AI regulation in the time of Great Power competition at an event hosted by the embassy of Austria.

May 31, 2023

The Importance of the Innovation Ecosystem

Join Duke University, Hudson Institute, and ITIF for a daylong roundtable featuring experts in the innovation ecosystem, from academia to the think tank community, as they explore these and other questions.

May 24, 2023

How to Restore Robust Productivity Growth in Advanced Economies

Watch the expert panel discussion on the reasons for disappointing productivity growth in advanced economies and what policymakers should do to get back on track.

May 17, 2023

The Great Debate Over Technology and Prosperity

ITIF hosted a spirited debate between ITIF President Rob Atkinson and economist Simon Johnson, author of the new book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity.

May 11, 2023

The Implications of Japan’s New Economic Security Law

Watch the expert panel for the discussion on Japan’s efforts and the implications for U.S. policy.

More Events & Presentations by Robert D. Atkinson

Testimonials

Rob Atkinson, “has a unique and enviable capacity to communicate cutting-edge analysis of emerging and effective economic development practices. In that, he made high level concepts very accessible and relevant to those in the front line of growing jobs and the economy. We consider ourselves to be very fortunate you were able to share your voice, vision, wisdom, and experience with our regional leaders.”

- Jim Prosser Executive Director, Centralina Council of Governments

Dr. Robert D. Atkinson was an excellent addition as an international keynote speaker at the Innovation Day, hosted by the Portuguese Industrial Association (AIP) in Lisbon. Dr. Atkinson’s presentation on lessons from the U.S. innovation system was insightful and engaging. His encouraging perspective on innovation and its potential role in the Portugal context during a moderated discussion was thought provoking for the audience. Dr. Atkinson is an excellent speaker and a pleasure to collaborate with.

- Augusto Medina President, Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovacao S.A.

Dr. Atkinson’s keynote on “Innovation Waves” was a highlight of our P&G Alumni Innovation Summit. His long view of how innovation shapes business and economic growth provides clear direction on what’s needed to sustain US competitiveness in the decades to come. Rob was able to share a balanced view of what’s working and not working today, outlining a sensible approach for Federal R&D spending and regulatory policy.

- Wayne Fisher President, Rockdale Innovation

Rob provided a keynote presentation for the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s 103rd Annual Meeting. Our members enjoyed his thorough and informative presentation about innovation and growth potential for our region and state.

- Robyn Ludtke Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Workforce, Waukesha County Business Alliance

Rob Atkinson offers a cleared-eyed view of the need for a new and well-founded industrial policy for the United States. Without taking any political side, Atkinson lays out the economic uncertainty the country faces by failing to invest in critical industries. The war in Ukraine and mounting tensions with China highlight the need for the U.S. to invest in critical development and production, particularly in semiconductors, but in other key industries as well. According to Atkinson, the debate is not about capitalism or socialism, but whether the U.S. has the determination to build resiliency at home to face myriad global problems now and in the future.

- Bill Clifford President and CEO, World Affairs Councils of America

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