ITIF President Robert Atkinson Discusses Innovation Priorities for the Trump Administration

Posted November 22, 2016

On Monday, November 14, Robert Atkinson, founder and president of the Intellectual Property and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), visited Georgia Tech to present as part of the School of Public Policy Speaker Series on timely policy issues.

Speaking less than a week after the U.S. elections, Atkinson drew on his expertise in science and innovation policy to highlight some of the likely policy priorities for the incoming administration and assess the effects of potential policy changes on the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Atkinson noted that many of the specific policy priorities of the Trump Administration relevant to innovation are uncertain at this point, but identified several potential initiatives that could benefit U.S. innovation as well as some that could hinder innovation efforts. 

Potential pro-innovation activities highlighted by Atkinson included corporate tax reform, efforts to combat foreign “innovation mercantilism,” and reduced regulation in some sectors. Potential policy initiatives likely to hinder U.S. innovation and competitiveness included reduced immigration of skilled STEM workers, efforts to weaken the encryption used by U.S. companies, and reductions in federal research funding and support for STEM education efforts.