Nikhil Kalathil
Research Scientist, Critical Technology Strategy Initiative
Nikhil Kalathil is the Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives and a Research Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University's Critical Technology Initiative. He leads research on regional manufacturing ecosystems and capabilities. His research studies how regional capabilities and firm decisions about manufacturing location, product design, supply chains, and R&D investments aggregate to impact science and technology progress, as well as national and economic security objectives. His current research seeks to understand variation in regional support for short-term economic dynamism and how to construct more dynamic, resilient, and responsive supply chains in key technologies (semiconductors, drones, machining) that are capable of rapidly responding to novel shocks, scenarios, and needs. Dr. Kalathil’s work specifically focuses on the role of regional institutions, clusters, and ecosystems in facilitating national strategic objectives and meeting sudden demand spikes. He serves as a Senior Advisor for Ecosystem Assessment for the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC), and previously worked at SRI International’s Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy.
He completed his Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy (2024) from Carnegie Mellon University, his M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2019) from the University of California, Berkeley; and his B.A in Economics, Mathematics, and Politics (2014) from Oberlin College.