A NEW DAWN FOR AMERICAN INNOVATION
PREPARED REMARKS
Endless Frontiers Retreat, Austin, Texas
April 14, 2025
THE DIRECTOR: Thank you for that generous introduction. It’s a privilege to address you during what I believe to be the early stages of a revitalized Golden Age for America.
President Trump has entrusted us in his administration with an extraordinary mandate—the revitalization of our nation.
We are all aware that this revival hinges on rekindling American science and industry. Over recent decades, the United States has slipped into a state of complacency, losing sight of its once-vibrant aspirations for a remarkable future.
However, the indomitable spirit of American pioneers remains eager to explore uncharted territories. Our technologies, and how we harness them, will shape the destiny of our nation in this century.
Yet, the American belief in progress, bolstered by science and technology, does not grant innovators the luxury of shying away from politics. Quite the contrary, and that’s precisely why I stand before you today. A Golden Age is not a matter of fate; it is a choice we must make.
***
Technological advancement and scientific discovery are not guaranteed. They demand the dedication and vigor of individuals, a collective commitment to order and truth over chaos and mere opinion.
Last century was dubbed the American Century, as, despite wars and domestic strife, the United States emerged as a leader in science and technology, crafting the future. Our industrial prowess and ingenuity birthed the largest middle class the world has ever known. As President Trump articulated in his letter outlining our science and technology agenda, “The triumphs of the last century did not happen by chance.”
We have seen the dawn of the Atomic Age, triumphed in the Space Race, and revolutionized communication with the Internet, which has woven together the tapestry of human knowledge.
Today, we strive to reclaim that inheritance. The shortcomings of the Biden administration’s “small yard, high fence” strategy illustrate that merely aiming to protect America’s technological edge is insufficient; we must also actively promote American technological leadership.
***
A chasm exists between our current moment and the rapid transformations America experienced mid-century. Progress has decelerated. Yes, we are awed by large language models, rockets still reach for the stars, and satellites blanket the globe. Yet as we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary next year, our contemporary advancements seem paltry compared to the monumental strides of the 20th century. Reflect on our nation fifty years ago.
As the bicentennial approached, Americans eagerly anticipated electricity that would be “too cheap to meter.” By the end of 1972, 30 nuclear plants were operational, 55 were under construction, and over 80 were planned or ordered. That same year, Apollo 17 astronauts became the 11th and 12th men to stroll on the moon. Just five years prior, the X-15 rocket plane had shattered speed records for crewed aircraft, reaching Mach 6.7. America was soaring higher, faster, and further than ever before…
Fast forward to today, where energy costs continue to burden both producers and consumers, and our power grid hangs by a thread. In the past 30 years, only three commercial nuclear reactors have been constructed while ten have been decommissioned. Despite spending nearly double on healthcare compared to peer nations, our life expectancy lags behind. Apollo 17’s lunar footprints remain humanity’s last, the X-15’s record stands unchallenged, and the Concorde has been grounded for over two decades. Our passenger planes are slower than they once were, our trains crawl compared to counterparts abroad, and let’s not even entertain the notion of flying cars.
Innovation hasn’t ceased, but something has certainly gone awry.
***
Stagnation was a choice. We have burdened our builders and innovators. The well-intentioned regulatory framework of the 1970s morphed into an increasingly restrictive ratchet, first stifling America’s evolution into a net-energy exporter and subsequently complicating the construction of new ventures. We seem to have lost our vision, allowing systems and bureaucracies to lead us astray.
Yet, we are capable of so much more!
Our technologies empower us to reshape time and space. They erase distances, foster growth, and enhance productivity.
As Vice President Vance remarked recently, the tradition of American innovation has been about amplifying the capabilities of our workforce, extending human potential so that more individuals can engage in meaningful work. However, the unrestricted immigration policies and reliance on inexpensive labor—both domestically and internationally—have become substitutes for enhancing productivity through technology.
We can innovate in ways that enable us to achieve more with less, or we can continue to borrow from the future. Time and again, we have opted for the latter. Our civilizational choice is between technology and debt, and we have been choosing debt.
Today, we can choose a different path.
***
Our foremost task is to secure America’s leadership in critical and emerging technologies. This administration will ensure our nation remains at the forefront of future industries through a dual strategy of both promotion and protection—safeguarding our most valuable assets while championing our most innovative minds.
To the extent the Biden administration made any attempt to achieve this, it fell short, driven by a climate of apprehension rather than optimism. The previous regime aimed to shield its managerial authority from technological disruptions while fostering social division under the guise of equity. They failed to adequately secure American technology and did nothing to bolster our leadership.
Promoting America’s technological supremacy necessitates three key actions from the government. First, we must make intelligent decisions regarding the allocation of public research and development funds. Second, we need to establish a pragmatic and pro-innovation regulatory framework. Third, we must embrace the straightforward choice of adopting the remarkable products and innovations birthed by American creators and facilitating their global distribution.
In this strategically crucial moment, we must creatively utilize public research and development funding, shaping an environment that clearly communicates our national priorities. Whether in AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, or next-generation semiconductors, the government must empower scientists to pioneer new theories and enable engineers to bring them to fruition, through prizes, advanced market commitments, and other innovative funding mechanisms, including agile grants that can amplify the impact of government-supported research.
In an era defined by a desire to rebuild in America, we must discard the weight of ineffective regulations that hinder our innovators and leverage federal resources to test, deploy, and advance emerging technologies. For instance, the greatest hindrance to limitless energy in our country has been a regulatory environment hostile to innovation and development. This has also been the main barrier to pushing the envelope in transportation, whether it’s supersonic aircraft, high-speed rail, or flying cars. The time has come to reassess existing regulations and determine whom they genuinely protect and what they truly cost.
To forge a future emblematic of the American spirit, the federal government must become an enthusiastic early adopter and advocate for American technology. Our innovators are producing groundbreaking advancements, but consumers—government included—need products that meet their needs, rather than just the vast expanse of potential technology. Our industrial strength, unleashed domestically, and our technological achievements—from AI to aerospace—when successfully commercialized, can serve as powerful diplomatic tools and pivotal elements of our international partnerships. Progress in critical technologies will position us as the global partner of choice and the standard-bearer if we facilitate American companies in distributing the American tech stack worldwide.
***
This approach to fostering American technological leadership must align with a tri-fold strategy for safeguarding that position against foreign adversaries. First, we must protect U.S. intellectual property and prioritize American research security. Second, we need to prevent rival nations from infiltrating our infrastructure and supply chains, as well as embedding themselves in the systems of our allies. Third, we must enforce stringent export controls and other measures to keep our cutting-edge technologies out of the hands of competitors.
As a nation, we face numerous challenges; however, due to decades of ineffective leadership, particularly from China, we now contend with both a geopolitical rival and a technological competitor. This reality necessitates heightened vigilance in protecting our scientific and technological resources, ensuring that the vital work of American researchers—both in public and private sectors—is shielded from misuse, theft, and disruption. To safeguard our intellectual capital, we must restrict foreign access to sensitive data and enhance oversight of international partnerships.
Furthermore, we must secure our infrastructure and supply chains, along with those of our allies. We cannot afford to remain reliant on Chinese inputs and products in critical industries, nor can we allow our closest partners to become vulnerable by depending on Chinese-controlled infrastructure—be it in telecommunications, the power grid, or AI. We need to establish and secure trusted supply chains, promote public-private partnerships to bolster supply-chain resilience, and create investment incentives to bring critical manufacturing back home.
Lastly, after thirty years of inadvertently aiding Chinese advancement, it’s time to stop fueling a rival’s growth in this race. Clear and straightforward export controls, paired with rigorous “know your customer” rules—and an unapologetic America-first approach to enforcement—are essential to preventing China from continuing to strengthen itself at our expense. We desire peaceful relations with other nations, but that peace hinges on keeping America’s leading-edge technology from falling into our competitors’ hands.
***
The dawn of an American innovation renaissance is within our grasp, should we choose it.
In an ever-evolving technological landscape, our task is to adapt to new realities without dismantling the American way of life or neglecting the American worker. Our goal is fundamentally to secure our economy, revitalize our middle class, and maintain America as the premier destination for innovators.
For years, many of you—builders and visionaries—have felt inclined to withdraw from political engagement. Faced with stifling regulations, inefficient governance, and the spectacle of election cycles, retreat has seemed the easier path.
However, victory has no substitute. You and your fellow Americans cannot afford to abandon this nation. In a world shaped by both politics and technology, action is required in both realms. We call on all Americans to meet this moment, to utilize their talents fully, and to build.
We must all work diligently to safeguard the legacy of the American Century for those who come after us, ensuring that the technologies shaping our world empower the American populace to uphold the liberties granted to us by our forebears. I bear this responsibility in my role as the President’s Science and Technology Advisor. You share it as well, by exercising your powers and responsibilities, whether in business, education, or the laboratory—as Americans.
Ultimately, it is the choices of individuals that will usher in a new Golden Age for America: the decision to overcome bureaucratic inertia and the determination to pioneer new technologies and pursue scientific discoveries that will stretch the boundaries of time and space, allowing us to achieve more with less, and propel us further into the endless frontier.
