Government Officials, Hoover Fellows, and Silicon Valley Leaders Discuss Cooperation at Sixth Annual Tech Track II Symposium

Fifty US government officials, scholars from the Hoover Institution, Stanford University scientists and engineers, technology experts, venture capitalists, and business leaders convened at the Sixth Annual Tech Track II Symposium hosted by the Hoover Institution's Technology Policy Accelerator.

Chaired by senior fellows Amy Zegart and General H.R. McMaster, the closed-door symposium focused on reflecting on the progress in technological innovation, identifying opportunities to grow America's competitive advantages, and building partnerships across sectors to create actionable solutions. The outputs of the symposium include briefings for the incoming administration to advance US economic and military competitiveness. Attendees discussed working across their respective sectors to develop robust economic strategies, with the aim of strengthening the United States in its geopolitical competition with China and to help achieve US economic, national security, and defense goals.

Speakers also examined the potentials of both artificial intelligence and synthetic biology; the intersections between the two, with an emphasis on their most pressing risks; and how the United States and its allies should consider governing their applications. The discussion included a preview of the second edition of the Stanford Emerging Technology Review (SETR), the first product of a major new Stanford technology education initiative for policymakers. To date, SETR has incorporated over 100 contributors across 34 Stanford departments, facilitated 2 Stanford launches for 750+ participants, hosted a 3-day DC rollout, led 15 workshops, and briefed senior leaders across the US government.

Tech Track II included discussions about to best involve and integrate the academic and private sectors into meeting the challenges presented by emerging technologies. One particular discussion focused on narrowing the gaps that frontier technology firms face when seeking financing for expansion or capital investment.

Hoover fellows provided material insights to government and industry leaders on these issues, and all parties indicated a desire to continue building ties between leadership across US government agencies, academia, as well as inventors, investors, and company leaders in the private sector.