Congress and the administration should establish a National Advanced Industry and Technology Agency to ensure the United States can compete effectively with China.

To Do: Establish a National Advanced Industry and Technology Agency

Congress should establish industry-led national research institutes dedicated to precompetitive commercial technology development.

To Do: Establish Industry-Led Research Institutes

The administration should establish a National Competitiveness Council to formulate and coordinate advanced-industry competitiveness policy across the federal enterprise.

To Do: Establish a National Competitiveness Council

With the rise of China, the U.S. economic and technology environment has fundamentally and inexorably changed. The most important step Congress and the Biden administration can take to meet the challenge is to create a dedicated national advanced industry and technology agency.

Why the United States Needs a National Advanced Industry and Technology Agency

Congress should establish an authorized, independent foundation for NIST to improve and expand research, commercialization, and standard-setting for emerging technologies through public-private collaborations.

To Do: Establish an Independent NIST Foundation Devoted to Emerging Technologies

Enhanced government investment in manufacturing innovation is central our economic health and global competitiveness.

Government R&D and Manufacturing Competitiveness

The origins of many technologies can be traced to an initial investment of U.S. federal research and development (R&D) support.

Federally Supported Innovations

Congress should increase funding for the Engineering Research Center (ERC) program to $100 million per year, and increase funding for the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) program to $50 million per year.

To Do: Increase Funding for the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Programs

To Do: Increase Funding for the National Science Foundation's Engineering Programs

While the U.S. government should expand federal support for scientific research, it also should improve the efficiency with which federally funded knowledge creation leads to innovation and jobs.

To Do: Establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Competitiveness (ARPA–C)

Recommendation

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Editors’ Recommendations

China Is Rapidly Becoming a Leading Innovator in Advanced Industries

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To Do: Establish a National Advanced Industry and Technology Agency

To Do: Establish Industry-Led Research Institutes

To Do: Establish a National Competitiveness Council