This Week in Washington IP: Selecting the Next Register of Copyrights, 5G Workforce Concerns and Smart City Models for U.S. Communities

This week in Washington, D.C., Congress is relatively quiet while the House of Representatives enters a district work period. In the Senate, the Commerce Committee will hold a hearing to explore ways to improve the workforce for the 5G industry to promote the build-out of necessary networking infrastructure in this country. The Library of Congress will host a pair of listening sessions to discuss the selection process for the next Register of Copyrights with members of the public. Elsewhere, the Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a series of events on technology issues later in the week, including smart city developments and national security concerns posed by emerging technologies.

Tuesday, January 21

The Library of Congress 

Listening Session on Appointment of Next Register of Copyrights

At 10:00 AM on Tuesday at the Library of Congress, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Mumford Room (LM-649), Washington, D.C. 20540.

On January 5, Maria Strong’s tenure as Acting Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office began a few weeks after her appointment by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. This event will be the first of two listening sessions hosted by the Library of Congress this week to explore the appointment of the next Register of Copyrights to take over the position full-time after Karyn Temple stepped away from the Copyright Office in December. The session will feature a briefing from Librarian Hayden and Copyright Office staff on the selection process and will include time for comments and questions from attendees. 

The Aspen Institute

Five Years of UpSkill America: What’s Next?

At 12:30 PM on Tuesday at The Aspen Institute, 2300 N St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20037.

Five years ago, the employer-led UpSkill America initiative was created to address workforce challenges posed by the increased adoption of technologies by providing worker training and advancement opportunities through local and regional workforce development partnerships. This anniversary event will discuss the program’s progress over the five years of its existence, innovative approaches to upskilling workers and the future of the upskilling movement. An opening keynote address at this event will be delivered by Ellie Bertani, Senior Director and Portfolio Owner of Digital Transformation and Reskilling, Walmart US. The day will also include three discussion panels on topics including how large employers think about upskilling, the value of local and regional initiatives and success stories from program graduates. The day’s closing keynote address will be delivered by Nick Pinchuk, Chairman and CEO, Snap-on.

Wednesday, January 22

Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes 

What Will It Take to Transition to a Sustainable Future?

At 9:00 AM on Wednesday at the ASU Barrett & O’Connor Center, 1800 I St. NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006.

Technological approaches to addressing the world’s sustainability challenges, including those directed at decarbonization and increased food and water supplies, will require increased collaboration among many institutions in the private and public sectors. This CSPO Open Workshop event brings together academic leaders from both Arizona State University and Germany’s Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) to discuss various perspectives on how to encourage strategic collaborations. Speakers at the event will include Sander van der Leeuw, Professor, ASU; Ilan Chabay, Professor, IASS Potsdam and ASU; Peter Schlosser, Professor and Vice President, ASU; Ortwin Renn, Professor and Scientific Director, IASS Potsdam; and Solène Droy, GSSF Project Manager, IASS Potsdam. 

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

The 5G Workforce and Obstacles to Broadband Deployment

At 10:00 AM on Wednesday in 216 Hart Senate Office Building.

The advent of 5G networking technologies will be an incredible boon to the digital economy of the United States but worker shortages in the industry could slow the buildout of network infrastructure across the nation. In late December, Brendan Carr, a Commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission, told POLITICO that the U.S. would need 20,000 more tower climbers in addition to the 27,000 climbers currently in the industry so that the country’s 5G deployment can stay ahead of international rivals in the sector. This hearing will explore the skills required to enter the 5G workforce and ways that the public and private sectors can address the labor shortage. The witness panel for this hearing will include the Honorable Brendan Carr, Commissioner, FCC; Jimmy Miller, President and CEO, MillerCo, Inc. and Chairman, National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE); and Lisa Youngers, President and CEO, Fiber Broadband Association.

Thursday, January 23 

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Deep Decarbonization Pathways

At 10:00 AM on Thursday at CSIS Headquarters, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036.

To achieve goals of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the world by 2050, governments must implement strategies that can encourage technological innovation in decarbonization. This event will explore various pathways with varying degrees of structural changes that governments can make to reduce emissions. The event will also feature various speakers including Jim Williams, Associate Professor, University of San Francisco; Fiona Clouder, Climate Diplomacy, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Bruno Sarda, President, CDP North America; Ryan Jones, Co-Founder, Evolved Energy Research; and Sarah Ladislaw, Senior Vice President, Director and Senior Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS.

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Cities of Tomorrow: Safety, Smarts, and Surveillance

At 1:45 PM on Thursday at CSIS Headquarters, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036.

The increased digitization of American cities have encouraged those who see a bright future for smarter and safer cities, but respect for civil liberties is an important part of the conversation on the impact of these technologies. This event will focus on various smart city models across the globe and how public safety and surveillance technologies in those communities are empowering or restricting individuals, companies and governments. Keynote remarks at this event will be delivered by Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, Associate Director for Cyber-Physical Systems Innovation, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Following those remarks will be a presentation by Johnathan Hillman, Director of the Reconnecting Asia Project and Senior Fellow of the Simon Chair in Political Economy, CSIS. Following the presentation will be a discussion with a panel including Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri; Michelle Holland, Director of Consulting & Deals, PwC Canada, and former Chief Advocate for the Innovation Economy, City of Toronto; Abha Joshi-Ghani, Senior Advisor, World Bank; Michael Sherwood, Director of Technology and Innovation, City of Las Vegas; and moderated by Peter Raymond, Senior Associate, CSIS.

The Library of Congress

Listening Session on Appointment of Next Register of Copyrights

At 2:00 PM on Thursday at the Library of Congress, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Montpelier Room (LM-619), Washington, D.C. 20540.

This event is the second of two listening sessions being hosted by the Library of Congress on the topic of appointing a new Register of Copyrights to serve the Copyright Office after Karyn Temple stepped away from the office in December. The session will feature a briefing from Librarian Hayden and Copyright Office staff on the selection process and will include time for comments and questions from attendees.

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Main Street Defense Series: Innovation Solutions From New Sources

At 3:00 PM on Thursday at CSIS Headquarters, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Room 212-C, Washington, D.C. 20036.

The American military is moving towards greater implementation of big data and artificial intelligence technologies through projects like the Army Future Command. This event features a conversation with Jim Scanlon, Executive Vice President, SAIC, and General Manager, Defense Systems Customer Group. The discussion with Jim Scanlon will be moderated by Andrew Philip Hunter, Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS. The event is part of CSIS’s Main Street Defense Series, a program which looks at the opportunities and challenges faced by Main Street companies operating in America’s defense industry.

Friday, January 24 

Center for Strategic and International Studies 

Global Security Forum: Emerging Technologies Governance

On Friday at 9:00 AM at CSIS Headquarters, 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, 2nd Floor Conference Center, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Intense competition for technological dominance across the globe has reinforced the notion that the United States needs to maintain a competitive edge both for economic and national security reasons. This event will focus on challenges to U.S. security posed by emerging technologies and policy priorities that can address those concerns. A keynote address at this event will be delivered by Mark Esper, U.S. Secretary of Defense. Following the address will be a presentation of a report on effective approaches on emerging technologies for the U.S. federal government. The presentation will be given by Samuel Brennan, Director, Risk and Foresight Group, CSIS. The event will also feature a discussion with a panel including Gabrielle Burrell, Minister Counsellor Defense Policy, Embassy of Australia; Andrew Hunter, Director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, CSIS; Dr. Jason Matheny, Founding Director, Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and former Director, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity; Suzanna Spaulding, Senior Advisor, Homeland Security, International Security Program, CSIS; and Brigadier General Benjamin Watson, Vice Chief of Naval Research, Commanding General, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, U.S. Marine Corps.

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