The Forum on Technology & Innovation

There has been a tremendous amount of discussion in recent years regarding the importance of technology and innovation to U.S. competitiveness. Several government reports, congressional proposals and administration initiatives all point to the need to invest in creating new knowledge, develop a skilled workforce, and provide the infrastructure necessary to support innovation. In response to this interest, the Forum on Technology and Innovation is actively planning future events. The Tech Forum has hosted a discussion on the subject of DNA and gene patenting entitled "Who Owns the Genome? Human Genetics and Intellectual Property".

At the Tech Forum you will find several resources of information on topics covered by the Forums and information about upcoming events. The links on the right will take you to issue forums where we have compiled a broad range of information on topics including the future of broadband, basic science and engineering research, and U.S. manufacturing. We will add to this list as new issues arise. There also are links to the latest news on the Forum and archived video and transcripts from previous events.

The widespread availability of high-speed wireless internet access has transformed the way individuals, industry, and government communicate and conduct business. The advent of "cloud computing" has given rise to many new legal issues that remain to be addressed, including concerns regarding the obligation of cloud computing services to honor assurances of customer privacy and to maintain the confidentiality of personal information. The law in this area is not well established and the need to adapt and modernize the law is a high priority for Congress and the courts.