Re-Launching the Newsletter

New name, Better content, Paid subscription

Government and Innovation is now Deep Policy

Hi there, and thank you for being a subscriber. When I launched my podcast in August 2021, and this newsletter in December 2023 I didn’t really have a plan. I felt I had things to say, and thought I’d get my voice out there through the spoken and written word, but I wasn’t sure how much time I’d really want to dedicate to this. As you’ve noticed, I tend to write many letters in a sequence, and then take some weeks off.

Now, I’m creating a new strategy. You may remember that I live in the South of France in a house that is often full of guests. For the past week, I had a guest who helped me figure things out. He is a successful American tech and policy journalist, and writes articles to several newsletters on this topic. We had many great brainstorming sessions which are now leading to this re-launch.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to bring you the most value at the intersection of government, innovation, and deeptech, and how to do it in a way that feels structured, insightful, and rewarding, but also mirrors my own lived experiences.

Going forward, Deep Policy will focus on four recurring themes:

• Geopolitics: being European American, fully rooting for both regions and hoping for the cooperation to blossom, I will cover the EU-US relations in tech policy. Equally, being a Finnish GenX woman who grew up right next door to the Soviet Union, I will increasingly focus on Russia’s influence on the West.

• Innovation & Deeptech Policy: The topic of my book; how governments use funding, incentives, and strategy to grow new industries. Also, I will dive into the work that I do at the Quantum Strategy Institute as the Head of Government and Consortium Relations, and my strategy work with the European Commission.

• Funding and Financing: Deeptech research is largely funded by tax payers because it’s too risky for VCs, the “risk investors”, but as soon as the startups begin to scale they will need private support. I will write from both angles, and cover both the U.S. and Europe. My work for the European Investment Bank will be a nice sounding board on this topic.

• Culture & Ideas: Drawing on art, literature, and history to understand innovation, politics and power. Life without art is meaningless. Technology alone is nothing. I will interview creative people, and hopefully make surprising new connections within our theme.

Each issue will center on one deep-dive essay, the “core”, and include one or two lighter sections that rotate so you’ll always get fresh variety without being overloaded.

Re-introducing Paid Subscriptions

Writing high quality content requires research, interviews, and hours of drafting and writing. I’ve had the paid option for this newsletter since the beginning - and my biggest thanks to you who have been paying - but I’m now re-launching in a way that will bring real value to those who opt to pay.

Free readers will continue to receive regular essays and updates. But for paid subscribers, I’ll be offering exclusive strategy pieces, deeper analysis, case studies, and practical insights on how governments and organizations build the industries of the future. I aim to keep about 60% of the content free, and 40% behind a paywall. The articles behind paywall are primarily directed at people who will be able to use the insight in their work, and the free articles will primarily be about generic topics that are interesting to a wider audience.

As you can see, I use Substack to run all the payment logistics, and kept their suggested prices, at least for now. Paid subscribers (either monthly or annual) will have access to paywalled content, and as a gift I will email you a free copy of my audiobook. If you join as a Founding Member, you have the same access to paid content, but I will send you a signed copy of the hard copy.

For those who will receive and have access to 100% of the content, think of it as your inside track to understanding not just what’s happening in tech policy and geopolitics (you can get that in the news), but how it all connects, and what it means for you and your company, industry, region or country.

I’m finalizing my next newsletter which will be out later this week. It’s going to be on Russia’s strategic culture, and free for everyone. I’m truly excited about this next phase, and I’d love for you to join me on the journey.

Petra