Donald Trump's tech and science chief details White House' plan to "do more with less" in America

Michael Kratsios, newly-confirmed director of tech and science policy under the Trump administration, unveiled a strategy to accelerate American innovation through deregulation and more efficient research funding during his first public address since Senate confirmation.
Speaking at the Endless Frontiers tech retreat in Austin on Monday, Kratsios criticized what he called America's complacency in recent decades, claiming "our progress today pales in comparison to the huge leaps of the 20th century." He accused the previous Biden administration of leading with a "spirit of fear" rather than embracing innovation.

Kratsios identified excessive regulation as the "chief barrier" preventing breakthrough technologies like supersonic aircraft and flying cars. The Trump administration plans to prioritize deregulation of businesses to foster innovation alongside more strategic allocation of public research dollars.
"We need to think about ways of more rapidly deploying federal dollars," Kratsios said, criticizing the lengthy application processes for government grants. He advocated for alternative funding mechanisms including prizes, advanced market commitments, and expedited grants similar to those used during COVID-19.

The tech policy chief emphasized partnerships between the government, private sector, and academia in strategic areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and next-generation semiconductors. "Sometimes it's not said enough how important the entire academic enterprise is in driving early-stage basic research," he noted.
Kratsios highlighted the importance of building stronger connections between researchers and commercial entities. "The core thing that we need to work on as a community is finding ways to continue to build links between that community and the investors and the builders who can ultimately commercialize those technologies," he explained.
Kratsios previously served as White House Chief Technology Officer during Trump's first administration and was confirmed to lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy in March. David Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, serves under Kratsios with responsibility for the administration's AI and cryptocurrency initiatives.