[1] The Council works to facilitate the debate on competitiveness by bringing together business, labor, academic and government leaders to evaluate economic challenges and opportunities.

This is accomplished through the sponsorship of conferences, seminars, and other special events used to develop new ideas and solutions and to circulate the Council’s findings.

Examples of these include the U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative, which seeks to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector to boost economic recovery,[10] and the High Performance Computing Initiative, which is intended to propel productivity, innovation and competitiveness through expanding the use of high performance computing throughout the private sector.

[12] The Council’s membership is an exclusive, invitation only assembly of CEOs of major corporations, university presidents and the heads of national labor organizations.

In addition, chief executives of the country’s most prominent nonprofit research organizations, professional societies and trade associations contribute their expertise as national affiliates of the Council.