January 20, 2021

Biden team needs some quick wins on tech policy

By: Martijn Rasser and Megan Lamberth

The incoming administration faces acute challenges on day one: fierce societal fissures and rampant radicalization, a pandemic that will continue to rage for weeks if not months, the fallout of a massive cyberattack on numerous government agencies and corporate networks, and a flagging economy. These problems are only the most immediate ones. At the same time, President Biden must lay the groundwork needed to ensure competitiveness in a long-term, all-encompassing geostrategic contest with China. Technology — an enabler of economic, military, and political power — is at the core of this competition.

America’s strength has been anchored in its scientific and technological prowess.

For much of its history, America’s strength has been anchored in its scientific and technological prowess. Since World War II in particular, the United States has pioneered the technologies that drive the global economy: semiconductors, GPS, and the internet just to name a few. These groundbreaking technologies are rooted in investments made by the federal government decades ago. The world’s most iconic companies — Amazon, Apple, Google, Tesla — would be impossible without those earlier public investments.

U.S. technological leadership is more important than ever, but America’s position is at risk.

Read the full article from The Hill.

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