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IWS Documented News Service

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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

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Congressional Research Service (CRS)

 

Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy

Wendy H. Schacht, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

March 13, 2012

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33528.pdf

[full-text, 15 pages]

 

Summary

There is ongoing interest in the pace of U.S. technological advancement due to its influence on

U.S. economic growth, productivity, and international competitiveness. Because technology can

contribute to economic growth and productivity increases, congressional attention has focused on

how to augment private-sector technological development. Legislative activity over the past 25 or

more years has created a policy for technology development, albeit an ad hoc one. Because of the

lack of consensus on the scope and direction of a national policy, Congress has taken an

incremental approach aimed at creating new mechanisms to facilitate technological advancement

in particular areas and making changes and improvements as necessary.

 

Congressional action has mandated specific technology development programs and obligations in

federal agencies. Many programs were created based upon what individual committees judged

appropriate within the agencies over which they had authorization or appropriation

responsibilities. However, there has been recent legislative activity directed at eliminating or

significantly curtailing many of these federal efforts. Several programs have been terminated and

the budgets for other initiatives have declined.

 

The proper role of the federal government in technology development and the competitiveness of

U.S. industry continues to be a topic of congressional debate. Legislation affecting the research

and development (R&D) environment has included both direct and indirect measures to facilitate

technological innovation. In general, direct measures are those which involve budget outlays and

the provision of services by government agencies. Indirect measures include financial incentives

and legal changes (e.g., liability or regulatory reform; new antitrust arrangements). As the

Congress develops its appropriation priorities, the manner by which the government encourages

technological progress in the private sector again may be explored and/or redefined.

 

Contents

Technology and Competitiveness .................................................................................................... 1

The Federal Role in Technology Development ............................................................................... 1

Legislative Initiatives and Current Programs .................................................................................. 5

Increased R&D Spending.......................................................................................................... 5

Industry-University Cooperative Efforts ................................................................................... 7

Joint Industrial Research ........................................................................................................... 8

Commercialization of the Results of Federally Funded R&D................................................... 9

A Different Approach?................................................................................................................... 12

Contacts

Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 12

 

 

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