Event Summary || Related Documents || Contact Information

Dana G. Mead, Chair, MIT Corporation, moderates the panel of 55 U.S. business leaders, university presidents, scientists, government leaders, and association heads -- including AeA's Bill Archey.  

William T. Archey, President and CEO of AeA, the nation’s largest high-tech trade association, was a principal host in today’s National Summit on Competitiveness: Investing in U.S. Innovation, held at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

House Republicans Frank Wolf (VA), Sherwood Boehlert (NY), and Vern Ehlers (MI) initiated the Summit to raise awareness of the urgent need for the United States to reinvest in science and technology to remain competitive in the 21st century.

AeA is one of six organizations to co-sponsor the Summit and serve on its steering committee. The Summit brought together high-level Administration officials, Members of Congress, university Presidents, association heads, and CEOs from a wide range of American companies.

"It was clear to anyone who attended this summit that America has some real problems to address, but that we also have great ideas for solving them," said William T. Archey, President and CEO of AeA. "Since releasing our competitiveness report in February 2005, we have seen growing support for taking action to maintain our lead in science and technology. This will require a partnership among government, the business community, and educational institutions at all levels."

The Republican-led Summit rides on the heels of House Democrats introducing their Innovation Agenda: A Commitment to Competitiveness to Keep America #1, and focuses on similar priorities, including revitalizing fundamental research, expanding the innovation talent pool in the United States, and leading the world in the development and deployment of advanced technologies.  

The democrats initiative started from a series of meetings at the nation's largest technology clusters across the country.  These events in Silicon Valley, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Austin, and the Research Triangle in North Carolina were all sponsored by the local district's democratic congressman.  The first meeting hosted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congressman George Miller, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, held at Stanford University, included 18 CEOs of prominent Valley companies, as well as the presidents/chancellors of Stanford, Cal Tech, and the University of California at Berkeley.

AeA was very instrumental in the republican and democrats initiatives.  Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, asserted at the meeting in Silicon Valley that the AeA competitiveness paper, “was the catalyst that woke up those of us in the public policy sphere to the competitiveness challenges facing America.” 

“Addressing the serious challenges to American competitiveness requires a solid bipartisan effort,” continued Archey. “Today’s Summit, coupled with the Democratic Initiative, shows that leading Members of both parties comprehend the gravity of this problem and are ready to act for the benefit of the country and for our children’s future.”

• To view the National Summit on Competitiveness participants, background papers, and agenda go to: www.aeanet.org/CompetitivenessSummit
• For more on the National Summit on Competitiveness go to: www.usinnovation.org.

John Palafoutas (bio)

Senior Vice President, Domestic Policy and Congressional Affairs
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This page was last updated on 12/08/05.  
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