In the face of COVID-19 and the threat of possible future pandemics, what is known about the government’s ability to harness an economy’s innovative capability to develop and rapidly implement effective therapies, vaccines, and other tools? How will the science and innovation systems be affected by the pandemic, and what are the implications of these changes for policy? This webinar, convened by the National Academies’ Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy, featured three prominent economists in a conversation about how innovation policy can be mobilized to react to these types of crises.

Panelists will include:

Susan Athey, Stanford University (NAS)
Benjamin Jones, Northwestern University
Bhaven Sampat, Columbia University

Moderated by Adam Jaffe, Chair of the National Academies’ Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy