Advancing U.S. Innovation Leadership in the Global Economy: The Role of Innovation Policy in Growing Exports, Creating Jobs, and Solving Global Challenges

Tuesday, June 15, 2010    
8:30 am - 2:00 pm

The Global Innovation Forum of the National Foreign Trade Council Foundation is organizing a half‐day workshop and conference focused on innovation policymaking and its role in supporting Bay Area innovators. This event is produced in partnership with the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and the California Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The conference will engage business leaders and senior government officials from the Bay Area with innovation policy thought leaders and government officials from Washington, DC in a dialogue about the importance of public policy to innovation. The conference is meant to elicit advice and input from senior business leaders to help guide innovation policy priorities. President Obama’s Administration has announced an ambitious goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years: what do American innovators need to succeed in meeting this target?

8:30am Registration and continental breakfast

9:00am Welcome remarks and goals for the meeting Bill Reinsch, President, National Foreign Trade Council

9:10am Morning keynote: Innovation in Silicon Valley Mark Bernstein, CEO, Palo Alto Research Center

9:30am Panel 1: Cultivating a community of innovation: lessons from Silicon Valley- Panelists will provide a landscape of the Silicon Valley innovation economy and will identify best practices to build and promote a successful innovation cluster. Moderated by Joel Ayala, Director, California Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED) Hank Barry, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP David Fischer, Vice President of Advertising and Operations, Facebook Jennifer Matz, Deputy Director, SF Mayor’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development Ricardo Reyes, Vice President of Communications, Tesla Motors Dharmesh Thakker, Vice President, Advanced Technology Ventures

11:00am Panel 2: Perspectives from federal and international policymaking: challenges facing U.S. innovators in the global economy- Panelists will discuss initiatives by the Obama Administration and Congress to create jobs and foster U.S. innovation, including the President’s export promotion initiative and strategy for American innovation. Moderated by Rick Weiss, Asst. Dir., White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (invited) Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Dan Carol, Senior Fellow for Innovation and Clean Technology, NDN Brian David, Program Director, Adoption and Usage, National Broadband Task Force, FCC Elizabeth Marincola, President, Society for Science & the Public Mike Ryan, Executive Director, Creative and Innovative Economy Center, GWU School of Law

12:30pm Lunch and Keynote on U.S. Innovation Leadership in the Global Economy- Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy United States Trade Representative

1:30pm Networking and Tesla Roadster test drives