How Innovation Enhances American Competitiveness

CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro to provide NSF Distinguished Lecture

Next week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships--a division of the NSF Directorate for Engineering--will launch its 2012 Distinguished Lecture Series.

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, will present the inaugural lecture, "How Innovation Enhances American Competitiveness", on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at the foundation's Stafford-II building.

CEA represents more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, and owns and produces North America's largest annual tradeshow, the International CES®. 

NSF joined with CEA and other partners to create the Eureka Park Tech Zone at the 2012 CES, a successful exhibition that highlighted fundamental research as a critical driver for innovation and economic success. In his remarks, Shapiro will further that message and emphasize the need for continued commitment to innovation if the United States is to remain globally competitive.

Members of the press and public are welcome to attend, but space is limited.  Reporters may contact Josh Chamot at jchamot@nsf.gov or (703) 292-7730; other members of the public are welcome to RSVP to Kevin Simmons at kesimmon@nsf.gov or (703) 292-2692.

Who: Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association

What: Inaugural ENG IIP Distinguished Lecture entitled "How Innovation Enhances American Competitiveness"

When: Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 10:30 a.m. EST

Where: National Science Foundation Stafford II building, room 515

4121 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Va. 22230

About Gary Shapiro and CEA: Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owner and producer of the continent's largest annual trade show, the International CES®. Shapiro led the industry in its successful transition to HDTV, co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and served as a leader of the Advanced Television Test Center. He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers and received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. He focused on the need for and led the effort to obtain the 2009 cut-off date of analog broadcasting. As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition, Shapiro led the effort of manufacturers to preserve the legality of recording technology and consumer fair use rights. Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts and received the exhibition industry's highest honor, the Pinnacle Award. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, and the Board of Directors of the Washington Economic Club. He has served as a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Commission on Information Technology and on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. Shapiro also has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a "mastermind" for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection. Shapiro has a weekly blog on Forbes.com, where he discusses pressing issues facing the innovation economy, and in 2011, he authored the bestselling book The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream (Beaufort). At CEA, Shapiro leads a staff of 140 employees and thousands of industry volunteers and has testified before Congress on technology and business issues more than 20 times. He has received annual recognition from The Hill since 2006 as a "top lobbyist" in Washington. Also, Washington Life magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. The Consumer Electronics Association is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $195 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. CEA has won many awards as a family friendly employer and one of the best places in Virginia to work. In 2009, CEA launched the Innovation Movement to give a voice to Americans who believe innovation is the backbone of the economy and the foundation for future prosperity. For more information regarding the Innovation Movement, visit the Declare Innovation Web site.

-NSF-