Innovation is key to America staying a superpower. But it is missing an essential piece

Former Wyoming Republican Sen.

Malcolm Wallop once observed, "I don’t think the only place to fight for freedom is in the halls of Congress." The same can be said of innovation.

America’s technological leadership is not secured only in research labs or startup incubators.

It is also built in factories, machine shops, testing facilities and supply chains that transform bold ideas into real-world capabilities.

Washington talks constantly about innovation, but too often punishes the very capital investment , permitting, workforce development, energy production and industrial expansion that make innovation possible.

When people think of innovation, they often picture groundbreaking technologies or historic milestones.

Recent developments like SpaceX’s record-breaking initial public offering or NASA’s continued progress on the Artemis program highlight an exciting era for aerospace.

These achievements deserve recognition, but they also raise important questions about what actually drives innovation.

NASA OPENS FIRST MAJOR NEW WIND TUNNEL IN MORE THAN 40 YEARS AT VIRGINIA FACILITY Innovation is only as meaningful as a company’s ability to deliver it.

A revolutionary design has limited impact if it cannot be manufactured efficiently, tested rigorously, or produced at the scale customers and government partners require.

That is why investments in manufacturing capacity, advanced production technologies and modern infrastructure deserve just as much attention as the breakthroughs they make possible.

The Boeing Company offers one example of this principle in practice.

The company is investing in U.S. manufacturing facilities, production stability, domestic hiring, supply-chain resilience, including a $1 billion 787 expansion.

Investments like these strengthen the industrial base that supports future technological advancement while helping modernize the systems that power American aerospace and defense.