Sujai Shivakumar

Director and Senior Fellow, Renewing American Innovation
Sujai Shivakumar

Sujai Shivakumar directs Renewing American Innovation (RAI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he also serves as a senior fellow. Dr. Shivakumar brings over two decades of experience in policy studies related to U.S. competitiveness and innovation. Previously, he directed the Innovation Policy Forum at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and led major studies of U.S. policies supporting advanced manufacturing, small business growth, workforce development, and entrepreneurship. He was also a lead contributor to a seminal National Academies study of strategies adopted by U.S. states and regions to foster entrepreneurship, drive technology transfer, and encourage regional high-tech ecosystems. He also helped prepare National Academy of Public Administration studies on laboratory technology transfer and the management of space situational awareness. Reflecting his expertise in innovation policy, Dr. Shivakumar has testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and has been quoted in leading publications such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. His academic background includes a doctorate in economics from George Mason University and service as an Earhart Foundation scholar at the Ostrom Workshop at Indiana University Bloomington, where he authored The Constitution of Development (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) and coauthored with Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom The Samaritan’s Dilemma: The Political Economy of Development Aid (Oxford University Press, 2005). During his tenure at the National Academies, he contributed to over 50 assessments of U.S. and foreign innovation programs.

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Back & Forth: Intel and the Semiconductor Industry

A new issue of Back & Forth explores the risks and opportunities of Intel’s centrality in U.S. semiconductor strategy. Christina Alfonso caveats the argument presented by CSIS’s Sujai Shivakumar and Charles Wessner for sustained federal funding for Intel Corporation.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, and Christina Alfonso — January 13, 2025

Executive Education

Evolving Technologies: Innovation, Competition, and Change

This online, self-paced course focuses on the critical issues leaders must grasp as we move into a global environment increasingly reshaped by geopolitical and economic competition in high-tech manufacturing, biotechnology, security, and the unknowns of future innovation. Registration accepted on a rolling basis.

Course Date: January 1, 2025
Registration Closes: January 31, 2025

What RISC-V Means for the Future of Chip Development

Some policymakers worry that Chinese firms will use RISC-V architecture to bypass U.S. export controls. What is RISC-V, why is it a source of contention, and what can the United States do about it? 

Critical Questions by Sujai Shivakumar and Julie Heng — November 13, 2024

Too Good to Lose: America’s Stake in Intel

When it comes to the future of American semiconductor manufacturing and the success of the CHIPS Act, Intel is not too big to fail, but it is too good to lose.  

Report by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, and Thomas Howell — November 12, 2024

Staying Ahead in the Global Technology Race

Please join the CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department for a virtual event on October 31st from 2-4 pm ET to discuss the upcoming Department compendium: Staying Ahead in the Global Technology Race.

Event — October 31, 2024

Audio Briefs

Clustering for Innovation

An audio version of “Clustering for Innovation,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Sujai Shivakumar. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Sujai Shivakumar — October 29, 2024

Audio Briefs

Clustering for Innovation

By fostering the growth of regional ecosystems, partnerships encourage more Americans to connect to the nation’s economic future and drive U.S. technological competitiveness in global markets—securing the nation both from within and from external threats.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar — October 29, 2024