Five Questions With: Robert D. Atkinson

ROBERT D. ATKINSON is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington, D.C. / COURTESY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION
ROBERT D. ATKINSON is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington, D.C. / COURTESY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOUNDATION

Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, talks about Rhode Island’s performance in a recent study that evaluated states on technological innovation.

PBN: Were you surprised at all by Rhode Island’s performance in the study?

ATKINSON: Given R.I.’s location in the innovation-rich Northeast, one might expect its performance to be higher, as in most indicators, R.I. is around the national average, above in some (e.g., tech exports) and below in others (e.g., STEM workers, patents). Obviously a century or so ago, R.I. was an entrepreneurial hotbed of the nation, but it has not maintained that performance as the economy has transitioned into a more tech-led one.

PBN: What are some of Rhode Island’s greatest strengths in this sector?

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ATKINSON: Brown and URI help R.I. receive slightly more public R&D than the national average. R.I.’s broadband companies have done a good job of getting high-speed broadband to the state.

PBN: Where can Rhode Island improve?

ATKINSON: Likewise, without being in R.I., it’s hard to answer that question. From this data, a couple of areas are producing, retaining and attracting more highly skilled workers. The state is below average in the share of the workforce made up of STEM workers, the percentage of immigrants among highly educated workers, and the share of the workforce employed in high-tech industries.

PBN: What should the state focus on going forward?

ATKINSON: Generally, states and metro regions should focus on areas where they already have some existing strengths, in new and existing firms and research universities, and then try to build on these strengths to move into closely adjacent markets or next generations of technology.

PBN: Can Rhode Island really compete with Boston’s 128 corridor?

ATKINSON: Given the long history of the 128 corridor and how complementary assets (e.g., venture funds, research universities and tech firms) have built up, no, R.I. can’t compete. But Rhode Island is certainly in a position to innovate alongside and collaborate with Boston firms, benefiting from valuable spillovers from 128. A good example is GE’s announcement of a new facility in Providence that will be linked to its new headquarters in Boston.

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