Global economies must embrace forward-looking digital trade rules to promote the responsible adoption of AI, quantum computing, and other breakthrough innovations around the world.
BSA’s 2026 Digital Trade Agenda outlines a clear, actionable roadmap to modernize digital trade frameworks and make them fit-for-purpose in today’s rapidly changing technology ecosystem. To complement, BSA is highlighting perspectives from across the enterprise software industry to provide insight into how federal and international trade policy impacts industry.
We asked these leaders to answer one question: “What government signals would give them confidence that digital trade policy is evolving in step with innovation?”
These voices underscore a consistent message: open, interoperable, and trusted digital trade frameworks are essential to unlocking AI-driven economic growth, and governments should design policy accordingly. See what they said below:
David Ohrenstein – Senior Director, Government Affairs and Senior Public Policy Counsel, Autodesk
Autodesk software helps architects, engineers, construction firms, and manufacturers design and make the world around us. Software is a key tool of these critical industries and digital trade is the foundation enabling software trade around the world. Governments need to act to ensure their industries have access to the best software capabilities – and this means fostering rather than hindering digital trade. Digital trade needs to be a core part of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and an essential part of any economic agenda.
Krysten Jenci – Director of Public Policy, Global Government Affairs, Cisco
To ensure policy keeps pace with innovation, governments should prioritize interoperability over restrictive localization. Confidence grows when policies shift toward accountability-based models, like the Global CBPR Forum, which allow data to flow securely. Additionally, enacting a comprehensive U.S. federal privacy law would provide a vital national baseline, harmonizing domestic requirements with international regimes.
These signals—prioritizing global interoperability, supporting accountability-based frameworks, and establishing clear federal guidance—demonstrate that governments are successfully balancing national interests with the demands of a modern, innovation-driven digital economy.
Nicole Henry – Director of Government Affairs, Trade Policy & Geopolitics, Siemens
Governments can ensure digital trade policy is keeping pace with innovation by supporting cross‑border data flows, protecting source code and proprietary algorithms, and enabling trusted cross‑border data‑licensing frameworks to allow AI model training. For manufacturers, this unlocks the full potential of industrial AI, powering digital twins and AI copilots that transform production and strengthen competitiveness in advanced manufacturing.