| Senior
executives of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology
Administration and the U.S. automotive industry today signed
a memorandum of agreement establishing a new partnership
to facilitate technological research and technology policy
analysis focused on improving the manufacturing competitiveness
of the U.S. automotive industry. The signing ceremony took
place in Southfield, Michigan, at the headquarters of the
United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR).
This partnership,
the United States Alliance for Technology and Engineering
for Automotive Manufacturing (U.S. A-TEAM),
will bring together scientists and engineers from the Department’s
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), DaimlerChrysler,
Ford Motor Company and General Motors to conduct pre-competitive
research activities with the potential to contribute to the
future competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry.
The U.S. A-TEAM will focus its initial technical research
efforts in three areas:
- digital/virtual
tools;
- plant
floor controllers, and
- ergonomics.
The agreement was executed by Phillip J. Bond, Under Secretary
of Commerce for Technology; Hratch Semerjian, acting Director
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; John
Felice, Vice President, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering,
DaimlerChrysler; Alex P. Ver, Vice President Advanced and
Manufacturing Engineering, Ford Motor Company; Jerry Elson,
Vice President of General Motors and General Manager General
Motors Vehicle Operations; Mark Chernoby, Vice President,
Advanced Vehicle Engineering, DaimlerChrysler Corporation;
Gerhard Schmidt, Vice President, Research and Advanced Engineering,
Ford Motor Company; and Lawrence D. Burns, Vice President,
GM Research and Development and Planning, General Motors
Corporation.
“Technological innovation is an essential key to
the manufacturing competitiveness of the U.S. automotive
sector,” said Under Secretary Bond in announcing the
partnership. “The U.S. A-TEAM brings together the world-class
scientists and engineers of DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM and
the National Institute of Standards and Technology to exchange
ideas, share knowledge, and engage in collaborative, pre-competitive
research that will foster economic growth and the creation
of high-wage jobs through global manufacturing leadership
of U.S. automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. Even
the acronym of this new alliance—the U.S. A-TEAM—connotes
our commitment to excellence.”
“The
U.S. A-TEAM is a landmark agreement focused on advancing
manufacturing technologies that will contribute
to the future competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry,” said
Pat Flaherty, Executive Director of USCAR. “By bringing
together the unique technical expertise and resources of
the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. automotive industry,
the U.S. A-TEAM has the potential to make major contributions
to America’s manufacturing capabilities.”
In addition to
the technical research agenda, the Department’s
Office of Technology Policy will work with the automotive
industry to explore new R&D and manufacturing production
paradigms in the global automotive industry and their implications
for U.S. policies in areas such as science and technology,
standards, international trade, education and training, and
telecommunications and information technology. The Office
of Technology Policy will work with the office of Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Al Frink, a newly
established organization in the department’s International
Trade Administration, as well as with other Commerce offices
in examining these issues.
The agreement
establishes a high-level government-industry steering group
to provide guidance for the U.S. A-TEAM’s
activities. In addition, under the agreement, USCAR will
physically host a NIST liaison at its headquarters in Michigan.
About the Organizations:
The Technology
Administration includes the Office of Technology
Policy (OTP), the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).
TA serves as the principal resource to support Commerce Secretary
Don Evans in developing policies to maximize science and
technology's contribution to America's economic growth.
As a non-regulatory
agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s
Technology Administration, the National Institute
of Standards and Technology develops and promotes measurement, standards
and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade
and improve the quality of life.
The Office
of Technology Policy conducts research and analysis
across wide range of factors affecting technological innovation
to inform the development of national policies and initiatives
to bolster America's competitiveness.
The
United States Council for Automotive Research, a cooperative
of DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM, was established in 1992
to assist the domestic auto industry in facilitating pre-competitive
research.
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