Robert Atkinson

Dr. Robert D. Atkinson is a prominent scholar in innovation economics and has contributed extensively through his research on technology and innovation. He heads the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), which is recognized as the world's top think tank for science and technology policy. Atkinson has authored several influential books including "Big is Beautiful: Debunking the Mythology of Small Business" (MIT Press, 2018), "Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage" (Yale, 2012), and "The Past And Future Of America's Economy: Long Waves Of Innovation That Power Cycles Of Growth" (Edward Elgar, 2005).

As a recognized figure in the field of technology policy, Atkinson has testified over thirty times before the United States Congress. His expert opinions are highly valued by state, national, and international policymakers on a broad range of topics, including tax policy, advanced manufacturing, productivity, and global competitiveness. His role extends beyond ITIF; he has served on numerous advisory boards, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's China-U.S. Innovation Policy Experts Group and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Before establishing ITIF, Atkinson was Vice President of the Progressive Policy Institute and Director of PPI’s Technology & New Economy Project. He has held academic positions as a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a fellow at both the Columbia University Institute of Tele-Information and Glocom, a Tokyo-based research institute. Atkinson earned his Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He continues to shape discussions on the impact and future of digital innovation, focusing on how nations and businesses can leverage digital automation for economic and social progress.