{"id":2926,"date":"2026-06-27T15:36:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T15:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2926"},"modified":"2026-06-27T15:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T15:36:42","slug":"opinion-america-at-250-preparing-for-the-next-era-of-american-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=2926","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: America at 250 \u2014 preparing for the next era of American innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As America approaches its 250th birthday, we have an opportunity to ask a different question than the one typically posed during milestone anniversaries.<\/p>\n

Read more Deseret News archives: Atari, founded by native Utahn Nolan Bushnell, helped usher in home PC era<\/a><\/p>\n

Not simply: How did we get here? But rather: Where are we going next?<\/p>\n

For 250 years, America\u2019s greatest strength has not been any single technology, industry or institution. It has been our ability to build. We built railroads that connected a continent. We built the manufacturing base that helped win World War II. We built the aerospace industry that put humans on the moon. We built the digital infrastructure that powered the Information Age.<\/p>\n

Today, we stand at another inflection point. As president and CEO of 47G, a national organization focused on strengthening the aerospace and defense industry, I have the privilege of working alongside the innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and manufacturers building the technologies that will define America\u2019s next chapter. Through our work convening industry, government, academia and investors across Utah and the Intermountain West, I see firsthand that the future is not something that happens to us. It is something we create.<\/p>\n

The technologies that will define the next century are emerging now: advanced air mobility, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, energy innovation, critical minerals, space technologies and next-generation defense capabilities. These aren\u2019t merely new industries. They are the foundation of America\u2019s future economic prosperity, national security and global leadership.<\/p>\n

The challenge is that many of these breakthroughs fall into a category often called \u201chard tech\u201d \u2014 technologies rooted in engineering, manufacturing, physical infrastructure and scientific discovery. Unlike consumer apps or software platforms, hard tech requires long-term investment, public-private collaboration, extensive testing, advanced manufacturing capabilities and the willingness to solve difficult problems.<\/p>\n

Yet history shows that America\u2019s greatest achievements have always emerged from exactly this kind of ambition.<\/p>\n

The future will not be secured solely through policy debates or financial markets. It will be secured by the people who design advanced aircraft, develop resilient supply chains, manufacture critical components, build energy systems, launch satellites and create technologies that strengthen our nation\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n

National defense, in particular, is entering a period of profound transformation.<\/p>\n

The threats facing the United States today are more complex than those of previous generations. Strategic competition is accelerating. Emerging technologies are reshaping warfare. Supply chain vulnerabilities have become national security vulnerabilities. The ability to innovate quickly is becoming as important as the ability to produce at scale.<\/p>\n

\n

The story of hard tech in Utah is not just about what is coming next \u2014 it is also about the pioneering companies already building the future.<\/p>\n

Read more Arden Locke used to shadow her dad at Jazz games. Now, she\u2019s forging her own path in sports broadcasting<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Maintaining America\u2019s strategic advantage will require more than a strong national defense. It will require a strong innovation ecosystem. That ecosystem includes entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers, investors, manufacturers, universities, startups and established companies working together to turn ideas into capabilities. It requires regions willing to invest in the future before the future arrives. Through organizations like 47G, these stakeholders are coming together to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies that strengthen both economic competitiveness and national security.<\/p>\n

This is why places like Utah matter.<\/p>\n

For decades, Utah has quietly built one of the nation\u2019s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. The state combines world-class research institutions, a growing aerospace and defense sector, advanced manufacturing capabilities and a culture that rewards entrepreneurship and problem-solving.<\/p>\n

At 47G, we see this momentum every day. Our network of more than 200 partner organizations represents companies and institutions working across aerospace, defense, energy, advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, critical minerals and emerging technologies. Together, they are helping position Utah and the Intermountain West as a national hub for hard tech innovation.<\/p>\n

The story of hard tech in Utah is not just about what is coming next \u2014 it is also about the pioneering companies already building the future. OxEon Energy is manufacturing industrial-scale systems that produce clean, reliable fuels and developed the core technology behind NASA\u2019s MOXIE system, which successfully generated oxygen on Mars. Vector is equipping America\u2019s warfighters with mission-ready technologies designed to enhance readiness and maintain a competitive edge against emerging threats. Strider Technologies is helping organizations identify and navigate geopolitical and nation-state risks through AI-powered strategic intelligence. <\/p>\n

These home-grown Utah companies are carrying forward a founding legacy that has long defined the American West: solving difficult problems, building critical infrastructure and creating technologies that strengthen the nation. Their work demonstrates that America\u2019s next era of innovation is not a distant possibility \u2014 it is already underway.<\/p>\n

At 47G, we often talk about building the future from the ground up \u2014 bringing together the people, technologies and partnerships that will define the next generation of American leadership. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, there is no better time to recommit ourselves to that work.<\/p>\n

As we celebrate America 250, we should honor our history. But we should be equally focused on preparing for what comes next. The next frontier is not a place on a map. It is a future we must build.<\/p>\n

A future where American manufacturing is stronger. Where our energy systems are more resilient. Where critical supply chains are secure. Where technological leadership reinforces national security. Where entrepreneurs and innovators continue to solve challenges that once seemed impossible.<\/p>\n

Read more America\u2019s nuclear renaissance is about mass deployment<\/a><\/p>\n

The countries that lead the next century will be the countries that build. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 250 years, America\u2019s greatest strength has not been any single technology, industry or institution. 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