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.

Programs & Projects

Areas of Expertise

Media Queries

In the News 8 of 32 results

Show More

All Sujai Shivakumar Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 122 results

Advancing the Texas Advanced Packaging Ecosystem

Texas is a major semiconductor technology and advanced packaging hub that sits at the intersection of economic and national security. The whole Texas innovation ecosystem is supported by a state policy infrastructure that provides enabling conditions no other state had replicated at such scale.

Event — April 30, 2026

Export Controls: National Security Tool or Industrial Policy Lever?

Semiconductor export controls were originally instituted by the Biden administration in October 2022 to address certain narrow national security concerns arising out of China’s advances in AI. A further expansion of government intervention should be rejected.

Blog Post by Sujai Shivakumar and Thomas Howell — April 7, 2026

NSF's National Security Mission for the Twenty-First Century

Sustaining the National Science Foundation's national security mission into the twenty-first century will require complementing investments in basic research with accelerating innovation and translating discoveries into commercial and security advantages.

Event — April 3, 2026

LeadershIP 2026

Scholars, policymakers, and industry experts discuss cutting-edge policy issues at the intersection of innovation, intellectual property, and national security.

Event — March 25, 2026

Chicago’s Emerging Quantum Innovation Cluster

Chicago is emerging as a major U.S. hub for quantum technology. Backed by world-class research institutions, strong state investment, and growing federal support, the region is building a powerful innovation ecosystem.

Report by CSIS Scholars — March 16, 2026

A National Asset: The Colorado Quantum Ecosystem

The Colorado quantum ecosystem is a vital source of national competitiveness. Long-term institutional support and funding are needed to scale fundamental research and maintain a robust ecosystem.

Report by CSIS Scholars — February 20, 2026