Enterprise Policy

With the CHIPS and Science Act, Congress intended to concentrate resources in a select few places to help them become self-sustaining, globally competitive advanced-technology regions. Unfortunately, four separate agencies established regional tech hub programs, disbursing awards across 48 states. Going forward, Congress needs to decide on one approach or the other.

It is time for Congress to restore the immediate expensing of R&D expenditures by passing the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.

Watch now for an online presentation and discussion with Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella, co-authors of Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths About Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today’s Innovation Economy.

Big Canadian telcos, grocery stores, and banks have not seen major changes in profitability over the past four years or compared to their international peers. Rising prices should not be attributed to “price gouging” but plain old inflation.

Europe has been enormously unsuccessful in creating substantial digital businesses for over three decades.

Innovation, productivity, and competitiveness must be top priorities for Canada’s next federal government, not sidenotes or vague aspirations to be addressed with little more than lip service.

Legislated procurement targets for SMEs should be a tool to stimulate technology R&D and commercialize Canadian innovations, and not a goal in and of itself. Focusing on firms that develop innovative solutions for government problems will create opportunities for Canadian firms to scale up and drive innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.

The Competition Bureau of Canada’s 2023 report assessing the state of competition in Canada has several methodological and interpretation issues that raise doubts about the conclusion's accuracy. As such, policymakers should not use the report as the foundation of competition policymaking or to justify a more aggressive antitrust regime.

The EU is at a strategic crossroads when it comes to techno-economic policy. As the new Commission and Parliament take office, they must choose between fidelity to the transatlantic alliance and “strategic independence,” as well as between maintaining regulatory hostility toward large tech companies and unleashing innovation in Europe.

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.