America's innovation leaders gathered in the nation's capital to celebrate America's cutting-edge innovations and to mark the 20th anniversary of the Council on Competitiveness. The event coincided with the November 13th release of Competitiveness Index: Where America Stands - the first assessment of America's position in the global economy since September 11, 2001.

Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough, vice chair of the Council on Competitiveness, represented higher education at the Council on Competitiveness Innovation Symposium. The symposium focused on the tremendous economic growth that has taken place over the last two decades and also looks forward to the challenges that lay ahead for American competitiveness.

Clough was the only university president to address the issues facing higher education institutions in an extremely competitive global economy.

"The world of the twenty-first century presents new challenges. The speed of technological change has increased, and a growing number of nations now compete in the technology space," said Clough. "Jobs and investments flow easily to the most promising locations. Innovation, flexibility, and agility have become the keys to success."

Clough remarked that it is the changing nature of higher education that is needed to keep the universities in the United States competitive.

"World-class universities that live at the inflection point of innovation will be a major force in this new environment. However, this role requires new approaches to higher education," said Clough. "Universities need to be agile and collaborative. They need to be flexible enough to pursue research, corporate partnerships, and global alliances when those opportunities present themselves."

According to Council Chairman Chad Holliday, Chairman and CEO of DuPont, the Council on Competitiveness is resolved to ask the tough questions, objectively frame the pressing issues, and will continue to advance an action agenda that will advance the US competitiveness in the new era of the council's third decade of existence.

An organization of the top business, university and labor leaders in the United States, the Council on Competitiveness is responsible for influencing the course of American competitiveness on regional, national and global scales. The Council stands unique in its ability to anticipate and respond to changing economic conditions through a series of comprehensive programs to maintain competitiveness and security, support innovation, benchmark national competitiveness and shape public policy. The Council is available on the Web at http://www.compete.org.