Initiatives & Projects

In addition to hosting a series of world class conferences and other events, Silicon Flatirons sponsors an array of initiatives to spur greater understanding of the information industries, influence policymaking in the field, and support the local technology community.  In terms of research, Silicon Flatirons has taken the lead on a number of important initiatives, including leading important research into public safety communications and developing a software regulation clearinghouse.  Silicon Flatirons also supports two clinics--the Technology Policy Law Clinic and the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic--that both give students a chance to develop their own skills as technology lawyers and also support sound policy making and entrepreneurship.  On the entrepreneurship front, Silicon Flatirons is supporting a number of initiatives to position us as part of a local nerve center on entrepreneurship.  Finally, Silicon Flatirons takes seriously its public mission, sponsoring the Institute of Regulatory Law and Economics (which supports state regulators in addressing cutting edge challenges), supporting Professor Weiser's work on Colorado's Innovation Council, and encouraging student interest in public service through the Dale Hatfield Scholars and Research Program.

Receivers, Interference and Regulatory Options

Technology Policy Initiative

Rapid developments in technology spur economic growth and empower consumers. Innovation policy and institutional design can stimulate or stunt technological change. Seated comfortably in Boulder, Colorado (an innovation hub), the Silicon Flatirons Center is well positioned to attract thoughtful policy leaders, legal and business professionals, and entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges and opportunities of various technology policy issues. The Center's recent initiatives in this area include an Innovation Policy conference, a Patent Conference, a Health IT conference, and roundtable discussions on Cybersecurity and cloud computing.

Entrepreneurship Initiative

Something special is happening in Boulder's entrepreneurial circles, and the world is taking notice that Boulder is a world-class location to start a business. In support of this creative environment, Silicon Flatirons helps stitch together the entrepreneurial fabric for the area's software, telecommunications and Internet startup communities.

Privacy Initiative

Information privacy has emerged as one of the most vital, contested, and important areas of debate in technology law and policy. Silicon Flatirons devotes a considerable amount of time and energy to this field, sponsoring an annual conference on information privacy that has become one of the most important venues for debate; housing scholars at the center of thought leadership on the topic; and training students to become the next generation of lawyers, advisors, and policymakers in the field.

Energy Innovation Initiative

Meeting the world's growing energy needs in a sustainable and secure fashion stands as one of the great challenges of the 21st century. The Energy Innovation Initiative at Colorado Law brings together leaders from government, law, finance, industry, and academia to address key aspects of this challenge and develop innovative approaches and solutions across a range of sectors. The Initiative builds on the law school's deep expertise in technology, entrepreneurship, energy and natural resources to support research and analysis on the critical policy, regulatory, and business aspects of the energy innovation challenge; training for students and professionals; and an ongoing series of public lectures, workshops, and conferences.

Institute of Regulatory Law and Economics (IRLE)

The Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics (IRLE) is sponsored by the University of Colorado Silicon Flatirons Center as a means of supporting thoughtful regulatory decision-making. In particular, the IRLE hosts an annual seminar for state public utility commissioners and staff as well as engages in state outreach activities. In so doing, it works with two related Silicon Flatirons initatives-the Glushko Samuelson Technology Policy Law Clinic and the Dale Hatfield Scholars and Research Program.

Public Safety Initiative

The reliability of public safety communications systems in the United States underpins the faith of the citizenry in its leaders and institutions. Unfortunately, public safety communication resources and technologies trail far behind the innovative, cutting-edge, and cost-effective technologies commercial cellular providers offer their customers. And as technologies change, public safety must adapt its services and become user-friendly. The Silicon Flatirons Center has and will continue to consider the needs and limitations of public safety communications with an eye toward breaking down institutional barriers that prevent public safety agencies from adopting the capabilities needed to make them effective and reliable.

Software Regulation Clearing House

Funded by a generous grant from the Kauffman Foundation, the Clearing House will track the governmental regulation of software development. It will collect in one place information about statutes, administrative regulations, and case law--Federal, State, and, to a lesser extent, Foreign--that either mandate or prohibit particular features or functionality in software. Some examples include the DMCA, CALEA, Broadcast Flag, and proposed Spyware legislation.

Spectrum Policy Initiative

Wireless networking technology is the fastest growing segment in the United States telecommunications market and holds out the promise of providing greater broadband competition, increased connectivity in rural areas, and increased communication density in developing nations that are not able to invest in wired infrastructure. But making this vision a reality entails overcoming three formidable barriers that can only be solved through careful interdisciplinary work that pulls together policy, electrical engineering, and computer science expertise.