Competitiveness
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As nations engage in a race for global advantage in innovation, ITIF champions a new policy paradigm that ensures businesses and national economies can compete successfully by spurring public and private investment in foundational areas such as research, skills, and 21st century infrastructure. Our work on competitiveness policy includes analysis of the many factors and policies driving national competitiveness, including improving innovation ecosystems and the technical capacity of high-value-added industries.
Featured
Assessing Canadian Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness
Canada faces unprecedented challenges in innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The first step in addressing them is to develop a clear understanding of the Canadian economy’s underlying structure and performance in each area. Policymakers must then tailor strategies for specific industries and technologies instead of focusing on principally on macro factors.
The Hamilton Index, 2023: China Is Running Away With Strategic Industries
China now dominates the strategically important industries in ITIF’s Hamilton Index, producing more than any other nation in absolute terms and more than all but a few others in relative terms. Its gains are coming at the expense of the United States and other G7 and OECD economies, and time is running short for policymakers to mount an industrial comeback.
More Publications and Events
May 7, 2024|Books & Edited Volumes
Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today’s Innovation Economy
Technologies and tech companies are accused of creating a myriad of societal problems. Technology Fears and Scapegoats exposes them as mostly myths, falsehoods, and exaggerations. It issues a clarion call to restore the West’s faith in technological progress.
May 6, 2024|Reports & Briefings
Why the US Economy Needs More Consolidation, Not Less
Larger firms are generally more productive because of scale economies, but some U.S. industries still have too high a share of small firms. Policymakers should encourage, not discourage, greater consolidation in these industries.
May 6, 2024|Blogs
Fact of the Week: US Export Controls Reduce Foreign Direct Investment in the US by 13 Percent
A recent working paper suggests that trade and technology restrictions in the U.S. not only reduce consumer welfare and exports, but also negatively influence other indicators such as foreign investment due to declines in associated technology transfer.
May 6, 2024|Press Releases
Many US Industries Need More Consolidation, Not Less, New Report Finds
Many U.S. industries would benefit from greater consolidation and economies of scale, according to a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy.
May 3, 2024|Blogs
A Nation With Larger Establishments Could Mean Higher Economic Productivity
Policymakers should ignore neo-Brandeisian calls to regulate or break up large companies. Another study has found large firms can benefit the economy and are crucial for optimal productivity.
May 2, 2024|Blogs
Canada Needs a “Canadian” Productivity Commission
Canada needs a productivity commission. But instead of emulating Australia’s model, which is driven by orthodox neoclassical economics, it should take guidance from “productionists” with a deep understanding of firm, industry, and technology dynamics.
May 2, 2024|Blogs
The Australian Productivity Commission: Don’t Try This at Home
On the Australian Productivity Commission’s watch, productivity growth in Australia over the last two decades is at its lowest for 60 years, with accompanying real wage stagnation.
April 30, 2024|Events
Reviving Canada’s Innovation Economy
Watch now for ITIF's launch event for the Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness, an Ottawa-based ITIF affiliate focused on tackling these issues. The event featured an expert panel discussion on a new report from the Centre examining the how and why of Canada’s performance on key measures of productivity, innovation, and competitiveness.
April 19, 2024|Blogs
Canada’s 2024 Federal Budget: The Good, the Bad, and the Maybe for Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness
The word “innovation” appears a total of 97 times and “productivity” 63 times in Canada’s 2024 federal budget, and many measures targeted towards innovation and productivity reflect that focus. However, some of the funds being disbursed are tangential at best to actually addressing Canada’s declining productivity and supporting Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
April 17, 2024|Presentations
Prospects for US-Japan Economic Security Partnership and Countering Coercion
Stephen Ezell presents on the state of global geoeconomic competition and avenues for United States-Japan economic security collaboration for the Japan Foundation.
