Hon. Katharina McFarland

With over 30 years of government service, Katharina (Katrina) McFarland is widely recognized as a leading subject-matter expert on government procurement. She served as Chairman of the Board of Army Research and Development at the National Academies of Science, and as a Director on the Boards of SAIC and Transphorm, She was previously the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (2012 to 2017) and acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) (2016-2017). She was President of the Defense Acquisition University from 2010 to 2012 From 2006 to 2010, Ms. McFarland was the Director of Acquisition, Missile Defense Agency. She is an accredited Materials, Mechanical, Civil and Electronics Engineer. She has received an Honorary Doctoral of Engineering from the University of Cranfield, United Kingdom; the Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Department of the Navy Civilian Tester of the Year Award, and the Navy and United States Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service. Ms. McFarland brings substantial experience with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Army, and Intelligence Community procurement with focus on Space applications,  Artificial Intelligence, Cyber,  and IT technologies.in defense acquisition, program management, logistics and technology.

Andrei Iancu – Congressional Testimony: Hearing on the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA)

On October 8th, 2025, Andrei Iancu testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property during the Hearing on the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA). Iancu, Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, former Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and
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How Europe Lost Global Biopharmaceutical R&D Leadership to the United States: Lessons for Today

By Anne Prichett Today, the United States leads the world in biopharmaceutical industry research and development (R&D), supporting nearly five million jobs and generating more than $1.65 trillion in economic output. This position of global leadership, however, is relatively recent. Until the late 1980s, Europe–particularly Germany, France,
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If Private Sector R&D Is the Future, IP Policy Must Catch Up

By Chris Borges The President’s Budget Request for fiscal year 2026 (FY 2026) includes steep cuts to federal research and development (R&D) funding—a troubling signal for U.S. innovation and economic security. While congressional committees may push back on the most severe reductions, the signs are clear: Federal R&D funding is likely
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