Commerce Secretary Appoints Avi Bender as NTIS Head, Unveils New Joint Venture Opportunities in Data Sharing/Services

WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department's National Technical Information Service (NTIS) has reached a turning point. The agency published a Federal Register notice (FRN) announcing a new joint venture partnership (JVP) opportunity focused on improving access, analysis and use of federal data and it is welcoming a new director, Avi Bender, formerly the chief technology officer at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since its founding in the early 1960s, NTIS has met its mission of widely disseminating federal science and engineering information and data largely through its database of more than 3 million publications in 350 subject areas. As technology has evolved, NTIS has increasingly focused on providing its federal customers with online data and services and the new JVP data program will accelerate that trend.

"We are excited about this new direction for NTIS," said Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. "Finding innovative ways to utilize the federal government's expansive data resources will provide great opportunities for public-private sector collaboration."

"Data is a major currency of the 21st century," added Bender. "NTIS has unique legislative authority to match federal agencies that collect, use and disseminate valuable data sets with highly qualified private sector partners. We want to make it easier for federal agencies to efficiently use and share their data in agile and innovative ways."

Read the full NTIS announcement>> [link removed]