Innovation Files: Where Tech Meets Public Policy

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) — The Leading Think Tank for Science and Tech Policy

Explore the intersection of technology, innovation, and public policy with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the world’s leading think tank for science and tech policy. Innovation Files serves up expert interviews, insights, and commentary on topics ranging from the broad economics of innovation to specific policy and regulatory questions about new technologies. Expect to hear some unconventional wisdom.

  1. Creative Discussion: A New Antitrust Podcast From ITIF

    JAN 20

    Creative Discussion: A New Antitrust Podcast From ITIF

    Join Joseph Coniglio, Director of Antitrust and Innovation at The Schumpeter Project, ITIF, as he inaugurates Creative Discussion: An Antitrust Podcast. In this first episode, Coniglio engages in an in-depth discussion with Herb Hovenkamp, James G. Dinan Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Dubbed the 'Dean of Antitrust' by the New York Times, Hovenkamp shares his career journey, insights on his influential Areeda-Hovenkamp treatise, and perspectives on significant antitrust issues.

    38 min
  2. The Case for Smarter AI Regulation, With Matt Perault

    07/07/2025

    The Case for Smarter AI Regulation, With Matt Perault

    Regulating how AI is used—not how it's built—is the only way to protect innovation and give small startups a fair shot. Rob and Jackie sit down with Matt Perault, Head of Artificial Intelligence Policy at Andreessen Horowitz, to discuss the significant burden regulatory frameworks can place on smaller tech companies and the critical role of government in AI regulation.  MentionedEzra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance, (Simon and Schuster, March 2025).Robert D. Atkinson and Meghan Ostertag, “Congress Should Fully Fund NSF’s TIP Directorate to Make America More Competitive Versus China,” (ITIF, June 2025).Robert D. Atkinson, “2025 Bromley Memorial Lecture: US Science Policy at a Crossroads,” (ITIF, March 2025).RelatedMatt Perault, “A Policy Blueprint for US Investment in AI Talent and Infrastructure,” (Andreessen Horowitz, Marc 2025).

    25 min
  3. mRNA and the Future of Personalized Medicine, With Andrew Geall and Deborah Barbara

    06/23/2025

    mRNA and the Future of Personalized Medicine, With Andrew Geall and Deborah Barbara

    Continued innovation and investment is vital to maintaining the U.S.'s leadership in the biopharma sector. Rob and Jackie sit down with Andrew Geall, Chief Development Officer at Replicate Bioscience, and Deborah Barbara, strategic advisor to Primrose Bio, to discuss the development and potential of mRNA as the fourth pillar of pharmaceutical innovation. MentionedSandra Barbosu, “Harnessing AI to Accelerate Innovation in the Biopharmaceutical Industry,” (ITIF, November 2024) Richard Fleischer, dir. Fantastic Voyage, (20th Century-Fox, 1966).RelatedStephen Ezell and Meghan Ostertag, “The Bayh-Dole Act’s Role in Stimulating University-Led Regional Economic Growth,” (ITIF, June 2025)

    28 min
  4. Decoding the Techno-Economic Power Struggle, With Alex Capri

    05/12/2025

    Decoding the Techno-Economic Power Struggle, With Alex Capri

    There is a clear linkage between technology and national security, economic strength and social stability. Rob and Jackie sit down with Alex Capri, author of Techno-Nationalism: How It's Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics and Society to discuss how nations leverage technological innovation for national security and stability and how that applies to evolving United States-China competition. MentionedAlex Capri, Techno-Nationalism: How It's Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics and Society, (Wiley, December 2024).Orville Schell and John Delury, Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century, (Random House, July 2013).Robert D. Atkinson, “Liberation Day: Explaining Trump’s Tariffs,” (ITIF, April 2025)

    21 min
  5. New Podcast: The Trade War With Stan McCoy

    02/24/2025

    New Podcast: The Trade War With Stan McCoy

    In the inaugural episode of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Trade War Podcast, host Stan McCoy discusses recent developments and challenges in global trade policy with Ambassador Susan C. Schwab and Rob Atkinson. The conversation covers the latest U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, the implications of President Trump's protectionist stance, and the strategic importance of recognizing China as the main adversary. Subscribe and rate The Trade War Podcast: YouTube | Apple | Spotify | Buzzsprout Home

    47 min
  6. The United States Needs a Robust Industrial Policy, With Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher

    12/16/2024

    The United States Needs a Robust Industrial Policy, With Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher

    What is the correct economic strategy for a nation? Rob and Jackie sat down with Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, authors of Industrial Policy for the United States, to discuss how industrial policy, done right, will develop the kind of economy the United States wants. MentionedMarc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, Industrial Policy for the United States, (Cambridge University Press, November 2024).Ian Fletcher, Free Trade Doesn't Work: What Should Replace It and Why, (Coalition for a Prosperous America, February 2011).“Are You a “Marketist” or a “Producerist” on Economic Policy?,” (ITIF, December 2024).

    28 min
  7. Leveraging Data to Improve Communities, With Rochelle Haynes

    10/07/2024

    Leveraging Data to Improve Communities, With Rochelle Haynes

    Data-informed and evidence-based decision making can drive optimum outcomes in local governments. Rob and Jackie sat down with Rochelle Haynes, managing director of What Works Cities, to discuss how technology and innovation are being used in cities to equitably deliver services and solve problems. RelatedRochelle Haynes, “How Cities Can Harness the Power of AI in 2024,” (What Works Cities, 2024)Ash Johnson. “Balancing Privacy and Innovation in Smart Cities and Communities,” (ITIF, 2023).

    30 min
  8. Europe Needs to Focus on Solving Its 30-Year Innovation Problem, With David Evans

    09/09/2024

    Europe Needs to Focus on Solving Its 30-Year Innovation Problem, With David Evans

    Europe has been enormously unsuccessful in creating substantial digital businesses for over three decades. Rob and Jackie sat down with David Evans, chairman of Market Platform Dynamics, to discuss why it’s imperative that Europe ends this ‘digital winter’. MentionedDavid S. Evans, “Why Europe Must End Its 30-Year Digital Winter to Ensure Its Long-Run Future,” (SSRN, April 2024).Robert D. Atkinson and David Moschella. Technology Fears and Scapegoats: 40 Myths about Privacy, Jobs, AI, and Today’s Innovation Economy, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

    26 min
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About

Explore the intersection of technology, innovation, and public policy with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the world’s leading think tank for science and tech policy. Innovation Files serves up expert interviews, insights, and commentary on topics ranging from the broad economics of innovation to specific policy and regulatory questions about new technologies. Expect to hear some unconventional wisdom.

Information

  • Creator
    Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) — The Leading Think Tank for Science and Tech Policy
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    103
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)
  • Show Website
    Innovation Files: Where Tech Meets Public Policy