Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

Can the United States Government Keep Up?

By Jeff Lightfoot

After watching the opening debate of the Strategic Foresight Forum, A Race Against Time, Deputy Director of the Brent Scowcroft Center Jeff Lightfoot put down some of his thoughts on the subjects covered.

Tech Horror Film or American Renaissance?

By Mathew J. Burrows

“…Once it may have been hard to buy the swift collapse of order that is made palpably real in ‘Contagion,’ if Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath had not already set the stage. ..Yet what’s really scary in “Contagion” is how fast once-humming airports and offices, homes and cities empty out when push comes to shove comes to […]

Will US Seize Opportunities of the Third Industrial Revolution?

By Banning Garrett

The United States could emerge as one of the biggest winners from the Third Industrial Revolution (TIR). The US is the overall leader in the development and deployment of the new technologies and innovations of the TIR. Its other advantages include relatively cheap and available energy resulting from the unconventional gas revolution in the United […]

Will the Third Industrial Revolution Create More Jobs than It Kills?

By Banning Garrett

Is the Third Industrial Revolution likely to destroy more jobs than it creates, or will the new technology powering the this revolution lead to creation of more new jobs than those are eliminated, as technology has done throughout history? Will the trend toward increasing concentration of wealth at the top continue as well? There are […]

Envisioning 2030: US strategy for the coming technology revolution

By Atlantic Council

Building upon this statement, this year’s Envisioning 2030: US Strategy for the Coming Technology Revolution, edited by Strategic Foresight Initiative Director Mathew J. Burrows, explores the consequences of major disruptions that will be caused by emerging technologies and recommends that the United States must prepare now if it wants to remain competitive on the global stage.

Can We Harness Disruption to Improve Our World’s Future?

By Mariette DiChristina

At Scientific American, we take it as a given that science and technology form a key underpinning for human advancement. But all anybody needs to do to be convinced about their importance is to scan today’s headlines about pressing global concerns of our finite world. Consider, for instance, the coming food-water-energy crisis, the ongoing transformation of […]

Robots: Out of the Factory and Into Our Lives

By Banning Garrett

While 3D printing is changing the when, where and how of things are made in the Third Industrial Revolution (TIR), the new robotics is enhancing productivity and changing the role of humans in the production process and the overall economy. The development of a new generation of robots that are easier to program and are […]

Digitizing Life: The New Frontier

By Banning Garrett

Synthetic biology and bioengineering are an emerging factor in the Third Industrial Revolution (TIR), building on the convergence of a wide range of technologies leading to development of new, previously unimaginable technological capabilities. While there are a huge number of potentially beneficial products of the synbio revolution, there are also growing concerns about the potential […]

Combatant Command Task Force Holds Second Meeting

On December 6, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted the second meeting of the Combatant Commands (COCOMs) Task Force.

From Start-ups to Space Exploration

By Banning Garrett

The Revolutionary Impact of 3D Printing The Economist has hailed 3D printing (3DP) as the foundation of the Third Industrial Revolution. 3D printing is a process of layering to make things rather than carving them out of pieces of material. Although the basic 3D printing technology was invented three decades ago, it has reached a […]

An Emerging Third Industrial Revolution

By Banning Garrett

 Politicians and policymakers understandably focus almost exclusively on near-term problems and crises. They often operate in reactive mode as hotspots and domestic political pressures set priorities. But their “global operating environment” (GOE) is rapidly changing, often in ways that affect national security challenges and choices in the present as well as in the future. To […]

Trans-Pacific Partnership and Asia

Power is shifting to Asia. The development of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an ambitious trade agreement among twelve countries in the Asia-Pacific region, will play a major in that shift by aiding the economic and security integration in Asia with Western powers. On December 3, 2013, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security […]

China, North Korea, and Extended Deterrence in Northeast Asia

On December 3, the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security hosted the third not-for-attribution workshop on extended deterrence in northeast Asia. This session focused specifically on in China and North Korea. The chairmen of the workshop series, Richard Armitage, president of Armitage International, and Kurt Campbell, chairman and chief executive officer of the […]

Discussing NATO’s Strategic Priorities

On December 2, the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative hosted an off-the-record strategy session with General Sverker Göranson, supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, to discuss strategic priorities for NATO’s partnership policy in light of ongoing NATO and Swedish armed forces reforms.

Pavel and Kroenig Discuss Iran Deal on This Week in Defense

Council Vice President and Director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security Barry Pavel and Senior Fellow Matt Kroenig appeared on This Week in Defense with Vago Muradian to discuss the deal that’s been struck on Iran’s nuclear program. Watch the full interview. For more expert analysis and reactions to the deal, check out […]

Britain Outside Europe? The US View

By Jeffrey Lightfoot and Tim Oliver

UK Withdrawal from the EU Would be a Double Loss Britain is one of the United States’ most important relationships, but Britain’s position within the EU is central to its importance. A UK exit from Europe would weaken the geopolitical position of Britain and change the EU and Europe in ways which could be detrimental […]