Charles Wessner

Senior Adviser (Non-resident), Renewing American Innovation
Charles Wessner

Charles Wessner is currently a research professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches global innovation policy. He is active as a speaker, researcher, and writer with a global lens on innovation policy and frequently advises technology agencies, universities, and governments on effective innovation policies. He served for two decades in the National Academy of Sciences, where he achieved the distinguished position of a National Academies scholar. He founded and directed the National Academies Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Program and its Innovation Forum and directed research addressing the importance of semiconductor research and production to innovation and national security. In collaboration with Gordon Moore of Intel and Sematech CEO William Spencer, he produced a series of influential reports including Securing the Future: Regional and National Programs to Support the Semiconductor Industry and Innovative Flanders: Innovation Policies for the 21st Century, which reviewed the role of IMEC. His most recent publication, Regional Renaissance: How New York’s Capital Region Became a Nanotechnology Powerhouse (Springer, 2020) documents how state and private sector investments in universities, institutions, and infrastructure created a vibrant semiconductor cluster that drove regional growth. He is also a leading U.S. expert on Sematech, the U.S. semiconductor consortium; the Manufacturing Extension Partnership; and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which provides awards to promising small businesses and start-ups. Reflecting his commitment to transatlantic cooperation, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the president of France. Reflecting his expertise in global innovation policy, he closely cooperates with the director of CSIS's Renewing American Innovation (RAI).

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

All Charles Wessner Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 61 results
Audio Briefs

U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth

An audio version of “⁠U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges — October 29, 2025

Audio Briefs

U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth

University research is a proven job creator, an engine of regional economic growth, and a generator of entirely new industries that also advance public health, improve wellbeing, and bolster national security.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges — October 29, 2025

Growing the Greater San Diego Semiconductor Ecosystem

The San Diego region anchors the high-tech innovation hub that is southern California. This event highlights the unique roles that the public, private, and academic sectors work together to create a vibrant and globally-renowned semiconductor design hub.

Event — October 9, 2025

Audio Briefs

Rebuilding Resilience in U.S. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

An audio version of “⁠Rebuilding Resilience in U.S. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Charles Wessner and Shruti Sharma. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Charles Wessner and Shruti Sharma — September 29, 2025

Audio Briefs

Rebuilding Resilience in U.S. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Tariffs and the recent executive orders aimed at expanding U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing are insufficient on their own to address some of the key challenges facing U.S. manufacturers in regulation, permitting delays and talent development.

Commentary by Charles Wessner and Shruti Sharma — September 29, 2025