The conditions that produced the late twentieth century and early twenty first century boom around the Internet and information technology merit careful examination and analysis. The platform technologies related to computing and networking owe their roots to investments by government supported and private sector-supported research and development from organizations like DARPA, Bell Labs, and Xerox PARC. In a world where “M&A is the new R&D,” it remains to be seen how the innovation model of the future will evolve.
The role of established firms vis a vis new upstarts in driving technological progress remains a topic of ongoing conversation, often focusing on Joseph Schumpeter’s theory of creative destruction and Clayton Christensen’s portrait of disruptive innovation. The implications of such theories for regulatory policy and intellectual property protection in spurring (or hindering) innovation continue to be developed. In practice, for example, policymakers must determine whether law and regulation should provide clearer up-front guidance through rules or more after-the-fact flexibility through standards.
In this 15th anniversary year of Silicon Flatirons, we will address the first principles for innovation policy, evaluating a set of important policy questions. These questions will include: (1) What are the Sources of Innovation? (2) What are the Preconditions for a Vibrant Innovation Ecosystem? (3) What is the Role of Interoperation and Interconnection in Network Industries? (4) What is the Role of Competition Policy With Respect to Innovation? And (5) What Does a Jurisprudence of Innovation Look Like (e.g., what institutional approaches and legal regimes are most effective)? To address these questions, we will bring together an impressive group of policymakers, academics, industry executives, entrepreneurs, and civil society leaders.
Sessions
Welcome
- Phil Weiser
Hatfield Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School
Mapping the Technological Frontier and the Sources of Innovation
- Paul Ohm — Moderator
Associate Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs - kc claffy
Founder and Director, Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis - Ashkan Soltani
Independent Researcher & Technologist, Former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House & Former Chief Technologist for the Federal Trade Commission - Jack Waters
Chief Technology Officer, Level 3 Communications - David Clark
Senior Research Scientist, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab
Break
Preconditions for A Vibrant Innovation Ecosystem
- Phil Weiser — Moderator
Hatfield Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School - Karen Kornbluh
Executive Vice President, External Affairs, Nielsen; Senior Fellow for Digital Policy, Council on Foreign Relations - Donald Gips
Venture Partner, Columbia Capital - Chip Pickering
Chief Executive Officer, Comptel - Rebecca Arbogast
Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy, Comcast Corporation
Lunch
Interoperability and Interconnection in the Network Industries
- Michele C. Farquhar — Moderator
Partner, Hogan Lovells - David Clark — Presenter
Senior Research Scientist, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab - Christopher Yoo — Presenter
John H. Chestnut Professor of Law, Communication, and Computer & Information Science, University of Pennsylvania - Jon Nuechterlein — Presenter
General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission - Leonard Cali — Commenter
Senior Vice President - Global Public Policy, AT&T - Sharon Gillett — Commenter
Principal Networking Policy Strategist, Microsoft Research - Michael D. Gallagher — Commenter
President and Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment Software Association
Break
Competition Policy
- Jeff Blattner — Moderator
Senior Fellow, Telecommunications and Platforms Initiative, Silicon Flatirons - Fiona M. Scott Morton — Presenter
Theodore Nierenberg Professor of Economics, Yale School of Management - Maureen Ohlhausen — Presenter
Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission - Jonathan Sallet — Presenter
General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission - Stephen F. Williams — Commenter
Senior United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit - Gene Kimmelman — Commenter
President and Chief Executive Officer, Public Knowledge
Reception (Please note: per university policy, only registered guests will be admitted to the reception.)
Welcome
- Phil Weiser
Hatfield Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School
Fireside Chat:
- Paul Ohm — Moderator
Associate Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs - Edith Ramirez
Chairwoman, Federal Trade Commission
Break
Jurisprudence for Innovation
- Anna Gomez — Moderator
Partner, Wiley Rein LLP - Mark Cooper — Presenter
Research Director, Consumer Federation of America - Nathan Cortez — Presenter
Associate Dean for Research, Associate Professor of Law - Raymond Gifford — Presenter
Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP - Howard Shelanski — Commenter
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, The White House - Randy Milch — Commenter
Executive Vice President, Senior Policy Advisor to the CEO, Verizon Communications Inc.
Closing Address
- Tom Wheeler
Chairman, Federal Communications Commission