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Public-Private Standards Efforts to Make America Strong

Office of Science and Technology Blog Post by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher

Standards—agreed upon parameters such as the size and shape of electrical outlets, the number of threads per inch on machine bolts, or the tolerances allowed for various medical tests—are critical to American competitiveness, technological innovation, and global trade because they facilitate manufacturing, speed delivery, and enable the widespread use of countless products and services in the market today. Standards also play a key role in public safety, as a new report described below makes clear.

Most standards are developed and adopted by industry, but in cases where we face national challenges, the Federal Government can help accelerate the process. . . . 

Read more on the White House blog.

Released February 1, 2012, Updated January 31, 2023