Robert D. Atkinson

Dr. Robert D. Atkinson is one of the country’s foremost thinkers on innovation economics. With an extensive background in technology policy, he has conducted ground-breaking research projects on technology and innovation, is a valued adviser to state and national policy makers, and a popular speaker on innovation policy nationally and internationally. A sought-after speaker and valued adviser to policymakers around the world, Atkinson’s most recent book, Big is Beautiful: Debunking the Mythology of Small Business, released March 2018.<br /> <br /> As founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), recognized as the world’s top think tank for science and technology policy, Robert D. Atkinson leads a prolific team of policy analysts and fellows that is successfully shaping the debate and setting the agenda on a host of critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.<br /> <br /> Before founding ITIF, Atkinson was Vice President of the Progressive Policy Institute and Director of PPI’s Technology &amp; New Economy Project. He received his Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon and was named a distinguished alumnus in 2014. He received his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989.