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.

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Audio Briefs

U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth

An audio version of “⁠U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges — October 29, 2025

Audio Briefs

U.S. Universities: Engines of Economic Growth

University research is a proven job creator, an engine of regional economic growth, and a generator of entirely new industries that also advance public health, improve wellbeing, and bolster national security.

Commentary by Sujai Shivakumar, Charles Wessner, Shruti Sharma, and Chris Borges — October 29, 2025

Growing the Greater San Diego Semiconductor Ecosystem

The San Diego region anchors the high-tech innovation hub that is southern California. This event highlights the unique roles that the public, private, and academic sectors work together to create a vibrant and globally-renowned semiconductor design hub.

Event — October 9, 2025

Growing the Midwest Quantum Ecosystem

Discussions will explore the region’s assets and capabilities, the challenges and opportunities for small (and large) firms, as well as the need for improved cooperation across the emerging ecosystem. 

Event — September 30, 2025