While the 113th Congress addresses hot-button issues like gun control, comprehensive immigration reform, sequester spending cuts and the federal budget, a critical issue that greatly impacts our economy and global competitiveness is being overlooked—innovation. Washington’s approach to innovation policy has been fragmented and detached from other prevalent issues, which led CONNECT to develop an innovation agenda for the 113th Congress.
Other countries are rapidly and aggressively closing the gap on the U.S. position as the global innovation leader. Now is the time for Washington to act if the U.S. is to secure its leading position, and maintain a climate favorable for companies, entrepreneurs, and academic and research institutions to lead the world in invention and discovery.
As a nonprofit industry group supporting technology innovation and entrepreneurship, CONNECT is asking Congress and the Obama Administration to make innovation a key part of our national agenda—and to advance and enact the following 11 specific policy ideas:
—Retain top-level, foreign-born talent from American universities while welcoming immigrant entrepreneurs. High-skilled and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) visa reform made substantial bipartisan progress in the last Congress and should remain a top and urgent priority for the 113th Congress as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
—Provide entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors economic certainty by reaching a grand deal to reduce federal deficits and restrain the national debt. Innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and the American people, are ready for Congress and the White House to get serious about reaching an agreement that not only injects certainty into the markets and economy, but also demonstrates to
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Author: Duane J. Roth
In Memoriam: Our friend and Xconomist Duane Roth passed away on August 3, 2013, after a bicycle accident. We at Xconomy are deeply saddened by his loss.
Duane J. Roth was Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of CONNECT. CONNECT is the globally recognized public benefits organization fostering entrepreneurship in the San Diego region by catalyzing, accelerating, and supporting the growth of the most promising technology and life sciences innovation. Focused on assisting start-up companies in the San Diego region, CONNECT has been directly involved with over 1,500 companies since its inception in 1985.
Prior to joining CONNECT, Mr. Roth founded Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Prior to Alliance, Mr. Roth held senior management positions at Johnson & Johnson and Wyeth operating companies. He served as a member of the Board of Directors and executive committees of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), BIOCOM (past Chair), Deep Sky Software Inc., and SAIC-Frederick, Inc. National Cancer Institute. Mr. Roth served on a number of advisory committees and boards of the University of California, including the President’s Board on Science and Innovation, the UCSD Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (past Chair), the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Preuss Charter School (Chair), California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), the UC San Diego Foundation Board (past Chair), and UCSD Health Sciences Advisory Board. Mr. Roth was active in the San Diego community, serving on the board of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (past Chair), the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lincoln Club of San Diego (past Chair), the San Diego State University College of Business (past Chair), San Diego State University Sciences & Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, as co-Chair of the Regional Housing Working Group, and a member of the Advisory Council for Math for America. Mr. Roth also served as a member of the Executive Board for the California State University (CSU) Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs. Mr. Roth was appointed to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he also served as a member on the Governor’s Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth. Mr. Roth was a graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College, where he served as a trustee.
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