Six
federal agencies involved in manufacturing research and development
(R&D) have launched a major effort to improve the exchange
of information about their technical programs, and collaborate
where appropriate, to enhance the payoffs from federal investments
in this area.
The Government Agencies Technology Exchange in Manufacturing
(GATE-M) will comprehensively address manufacturing R&D
across the federal government. Agencies involved include
the departments of Commerce (represented by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST), Defense, and Energy (represented
by two separate entities: the National Nuclear Security Administration and
the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), as well as the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation
(NSF).
GATE-M
agencies, U.S. manufacturers and the economy could benefit
from the agencies’ expanded efforts to (1) exchange
and leverage information about their technical programs;
(2) facilitate collaboration when it makes sense to leverage
resources to address particular issues; and (3) advance
issues on an interagency, national level.
Two
topics have been identified as initial priority areas in
which all six GATE-M agencies have activities under way
or could benefit from new activity. These areas are:
- Intelligence
in manufacturing, a cross-cutting technology area that
could transform how manufacturing is carried out in the
future. Industry is only beginning to use capabilities
made possible by intelligent, open-architecture controls,
and activities in this area could have a major impact on
supply chain cost, quality and reliability. In addition,
agencies with product-oriented missions might be able to
apply technology developed at other agencies to specific
manufacturing problems.
- Nano-
and micro-scale systems and technologies, an emerging area
of science and technology that promises to have a significant
and broad impact on U.S. manufacturing as well as the nation’s
economy. This area presents many manufacturing and systems
issues related to electrical and mechanical applications,
assembly, and measuring techniques and tools. GATE-M activities
in this area will be coordinated with the work of the National
Nanotechnology Initiative.
To foster
information exchange, GATE-M participants plan to conduct
detailed interagency reviews of programs in the specific
areas. They also may jointly sponsor workshops, promote
and sponsor the development of “roadmaps” in
specific technical areas, and conduct multi-agency brainstorming
sessions. It is GATE-M’s intent to involve the nation’s
manufacturing community of industry, government, academia
and manufacturing associations in an integrated effort.
Other technical areas of interest to the GATE-M agencies
include environmentally focused technologies and processes;
homeland and national security; manufacturing education;
manufacturing process development—metals and composites;
manufacturing quality and reliability (measurement and
testing); and supply chain/systems integration and interoperability.
With respect to promotion, GATE-M plans to issue joint white papers or position
papers that represent interagency positions. Other possible strategies include
the issuance of joint “challenges” to the research community to
tackle and solve difficult technical obstacles, the development of joint Small
Business Innovative Research (SBIR) topics and awards, and joint support of
studies by authoritative third parties to address technical issues.
For more
information, contact David Stieren, NIST Manufacturing
Engineering Laboratory, (301) 975-3197, david.stieren@nist.gov.
A copy of the GATE-M report is available online at www.mel.nist.gov/pdfs/ir6950.pdf. (PDF-requires
Adobe
Acrobat Reader)
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