by Gary Jones
FLC Washington, DC Representative
Greetings from DC. As the pace of scientific discovery continues to accelerate globally, advances in information technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology and other fields are creating opportunities to realize significant economic, social and environmental benefits.
Advanced manufacturing capabilities resulting from manufacturing–related R&D are required to realize these potential benefits. Therefore, manufacturing R&D "must go hand in hand with scientific discovery to ensure that U.S. manufacturers can quickly transform innovations into processes and products."
These are the opening points in a recent report of the Interagency Working Group for Manufacturing R&D (IWG), prepared under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The IWG, comprising 15 government departments and independent agencies, was established in 2004 to help implement recommendations emanating from the 2004 Department of Commerce report, "Manufacturing in America: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address the Challenges to U.S. Manufacturers," which highlighted significant challenges U.S. manufacturers then faced in global markets.
Against this backdrop and in recognition of the role the federal government plays in supporting research in the U.S., the IWG was created to "help coordinate and prioritize the federal investment in manufacturing-related research."
Specifically, the IWG is a forum within the NSTC to propose policy recommendations for manufacturing R&D; engage in interagency manufacturing R&D program planning and budgeting (promoting opportunities for interagency coordination); review agency priorities for federally funded manufacturing R&D; promote communications with the private sector and academia to address requirements and programs; and identify opportunities for interagency collaboration and potential connections between manufacturing and other federally supported research.
In "Manufacturing the Future: Federal Priorities for Manufacturing R&D 2008," the IWG highlights the federal role in manufacturing R&D and identifies three "priority interdisciplinary (manufacturing) R&D areas with extensive potential to benefit U.S. industry and the nation's economy" where resources and coordination efforts should be brought to bear.
Each of the three identified areas is related to an exiting presidential research initiative.
The overarching thesis is that advances in these specific technology areas, and concomitant benefits to the U.S., will only be realized by concurrent advances in the technologies needed to manufacture the products that will come out of these initiatives.
The first area, manufacturing R&D for hydrogen technologies, complements the efforts of the administration's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative by highlighting the role of manufacturing R&D in this area as a "critical enabler" for the widespread use of hydrogen as an energy source. The goal is to support the development of technologies and infrastructure to enable the manufacture of hydrogen and fuel cell components and systems.
The second area, nanomanufacturing, relates to the National Nanotechnology Initiative and notes that it is through nanomanufacturing that the nation will realize the benefits of nanotechnology. The goal for this area is to support the development of nanomanufacturing technologies that will enable the mass production of reliable and affordable nanoscale materials, structures, devices and systems.
The third area, intelligent and integrated manufacturing, relates to the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Initiative (NITRD) and is the broadest area in scope.
This area generally focuses on R&D supporting all manufacturing-specific applications of computers and software, i.e., advances in the manufacturing application of software, controls, sensors, networks and other information technologies.
The goal is to improve the business capabilities of U.S. manufacturers by allowing companies to "optimize knowledge, technology and talent" to their competitive advantage.
The report details current federal R&D efforts in each category, as well as highlighting research challenges and opportunities.
It also discusses the cross-cutting issues associated with preparing the manufacturing workforce for the future, health and safety concerns, environmental sustainability and developing standards.
Attention to these issues is vital to the "ability of industry and the nation to develop, apply and derive social and economic benefit from the new technologies to come."
For those with an interest in manufacturing R&D, whether public or private sector, this document provides a useful resource to better understand the federal investment approach to and coordination of this vital activity.
"Manufacturing the Future: Federal Priorities for Manufacturing R&D" can be found on the NSTC website; "Manufacturing in America: A Comprehensive Strategy to Address the Challenges to U.S. Manufacturers" can be found on the Department of Commerce website; and links to the three initiatives can be found at the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Gary can be reached at gkjones@federallabs.org.
