China’s Biopharma Rise: How America Should Respond

The conference examines U.S. competition with China across advanced industries and the policy changes ITIF says are needed to protect U.S. technological leadership, economic strength, and national security. Sessions address China’s industrial and geopolitical position; emerging techno-industrial challenges in biopharmaceuticals, commercial aviation, and robotics; and obstacles to long-term investment in strategic industries. Other discussions consider political momentum for a comprehensive response, structural changes to federal science and innovation funding, strategic trade partnerships involving joint R&D and coordinated export and import controls, the War Department’s role in economic statecraft, and lessons from the post-1948 national security establishment.

A Washington briefing on US critical minerals strategy, combining policy priorities for 2027 with Fastmarkets’ market outlook. Topics include strengthening domestic mining, processing and refining capacity; supply-chain gaps and overseas processing dependence; the effects of industrial policy, government support and market conditions on investment and commercial development; and the influence of defense and aerospace demand on sourcing, procurement and security of supply. The program also addresses trade relationships, geopolitical risk, international competition, prices, supply and demand, project economics, and the implications of policy and market developments for investment and procurement. Competitor attendance is subject to approval.

The conference addresses legal and regulatory challenges for manufacturers, with sessions on tariffs, trade policy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement, supply chains, labor and employment policy, and generative AI intellectual property issues including training data, copyright, ownership and licensing. Other sessions examine Suncor Energy v. Boulder and Supreme Court decisions affecting manufacturers; coordination of litigation defense with regulatory compliance and enforcement; professional responsibility, ethics and AI governance across legal and manufacturing functions; PFAS regulations and litigation; local-government lawsuits targeting manufacturers and products; and emergency-response practices covering evidence preservation, site control, internal investigations, liability management, stakeholder communications and reputational protection. The program offers CLE-accredited educational content. Registration is reserved for in-house manufacturing counsel.

The conference theme is “Beyond the $1T Milestone: Building the Next Chapter of Semiconductor Growth.” Topics include semiconductor demand, AI, memory, advanced packaging, quantum technologies, manufacturing capacity, supply chain resilience, and ecosystem partnerships. Program sessions address macroeconomic outlook and geopolitics; memory and AI semiconductor demand; non-AI semiconductor, equipment, and materials forecasts; advanced packaging; quantum computing; robotics; co-packaged optics; and inference AI. Further sessions examine global fab capacity, whether semiconductor capacity can keep pace with demand, and what it will take to sustain the next era of growth. A Bulls & Bears panel focuses on U.S. semiconductor and semiconductor capital-equipment investment.

The program covers specialty chemical business strategy, regulatory developments, and manufacturing operations across three tracks: C-Suite Executive Leadership, Regulatory & Policy, and Manufacturing & Operations. Sessions address the U.S. economic outlook and chemical industry impacts; AI in commercial operations and supply planning; domestic pharmaceutical supply chains; process safety; workforce succession and knowledge transfer; mergers and acquisitions; TSCA and the CMAS RTR final rule; trade policy and supply-chain resilience; operational disruption; and contract manufacturing partnerships and market trends. The program also includes an economic outlook briefing, an analysis of the 2026 election’s implications for manufacturing and chemicals, SOCMA’s Annual Meeting and update, and the Awards & Safety Recognition Dinner.

The program combines a shared market program with concurrent Capital, Markets & Deal Strategy and Energy Innovation & Investment tracks. Sessions address capital availability, tax equity and credit transfers, private credit, project bankability, investment risk, insurance, and the effects of policy and market changes on project finance. Topics include macroeconomic and geopolitical forces affecting U.S. energy investment; capital deployment across renewables, gas-fired generation, storage, transmission, and digital infrastructure; financing firm power amid rising electricity demand; and project-finance trends and capital sources. The innovation track covers emerging energy asset classes, post-tax-credit renewable and storage economics, AI and data-center power demand, permitting and commercialization barriers, small modular reactor economics, construction risk, geothermal, long-duration storage, and distributed energy. Closing discussions consider which energy technologies and business models may scale by 2030, what makes infrastructure bankable, and investment lifecycle strategies including M&A, value creation, and exits.

The executive forum addresses new capital investment opportunities and green technology, along with China’s peak production, rising low-cost imports, and changing U.S. tariff schedules. It brings together leaders across the global steel value chain, including raw-material suppliers, steelmakers, processors, fabricators, buyers, traders, technology and equipment providers, and investors. Its program connects strategic market economics with steel production technology.

Explores how the US can meet rising electricity demand as AI, data centers, advanced manufacturing and electrification drive economic and technological growth. Themes include where new power will come from, how it will be financed, and whether grids and equipment supply chains can keep pace; the potential to scale storage, advanced nuclear and geothermal; and how advances in AI, chips and compute could reshape energy needs. California-focused issues include power affordability, extreme weather, grid resilience and transport electrification. The summit examines whether technology, innovation and capital can support a reliable, affordable and globally competitive power system.

This half-day executive strategy forum uses panel discussions and open exchange to address the theme “Technology, Production and ‘New’ Manufacturing.” Attendance is limited to C-suite and senior executives at manufacturing companies.