2025 Concordia Annual Summit

A Conversation with The Hon. Chris Coons, U.S. Senator, State of Delaware

  • Democracy, Security, & Geopolitical Risk
The Hon. Chris Coons, Hanne LeCount

Session Summary

Important
Quotations

“I frankly cannot find a rational national security or competitiveness argument for defunding federal research. To lay off half of the staff and end funding for half of the projects, there is no strategic justification for that.”
The Hon. Chris Coons
“Thank you for laying the groundwork for why public-private partnerships matter now more than ever, and why connecting these different models is critical to building the innovation ecosystem you have described.”
Hanne LeCount

Key
Takeaways

  • AI Competition Requires Energy, Chips, and Talent: The century’s most critical competition centers on artificial intelligence development, requiring massive energy infrastructure, advanced chip technology, and exceptional human talent. Success will yield advantages across defense, agriculture, biology, public health, and clean water sectors.

 

  • Immigration Policy Directly Impacts Competitiveness: America’s historical advantage stems from waves of immigrants concentrated in high technology and cutting-edge developments. Recent immigrants and first-generation Americans drove major digital age advances. Current policies send “strong negative signals” about the ability to study, stay, and grow businesses in the U.S.

 

  • Allied Partnerships Essential for Victory: No nation can win the technology competition alone. The U.S. must deepen partnerships with Australia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the UK, Canada, the EU, and Mexico. Success requires predictable, reliable frameworks to prevent allies from hedging toward competitors.

 

  • Public-Private Manufacturing Networks Drive Innovation: The 17 National Institutes for Innovation in Manufacturing successfully connect academic research, national laboratories, and private companies. This German-inspired model creates innovation nodes across biopharmaceuticals, additive manufacturing, and advanced composites.

 

  • Intellectual Property Protection Needs Strengthening: The U.S. patent system has been weakened by recent legislation and court actions. Protecting intellectual property through strong patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright systems is fundamental to competitive advantage.

Action
Items

  • Immediate Priorities: Allied Technology Partnerships: Expand AI, quantum computing, and semiconductor sharing agreements with key allies. Immigration Reform: Create streamlined pathways for high-skilled technology workers and international STEM students. Maintain UN Engagement: Continue standard-setting and norm-setting participation to prevent Chinese advantage.

 

  • Medium-Term Investments: Scale Manufacturing Networks: Expand the 17 existing National Institutes to additional critical sectors. IP System Modernization: Pass comprehensive patent strengthening legislation and modernize trademark/copyright systems for the digital age. Supply Chain Resilience: Identify and strengthen vulnerable supply chains beyond semiconductors.

 

  • Long-Term Foundation Building: Federal Research Investment: Resist cuts to NIH, CDC, NSF, and NASA funding that underpin innovation competitiveness. Policy Predictability: Develop consistent, long-term technology and trade policies providing certainty to allies and investors. Bipartisan Consensus: Create continuity across administrations for critical technology investments.

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