| Six
federal agencies to help open the 'GATE' to enhanced
manufacturing
R&D
U.S. Department of Commerce
March 5, 2003
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. |
