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Az elektronika és az információs rendszerek területén kívül több más technológia is kiemelt, „kritikus”, „stratégiai” besorolást kapott az amerikai kormányzat részéről. Ezek között van az energiaszektor, a környezetvédelem, a gyártás, az egészségügy, a biotechnológia, az alapanyagok és a szállítás. A NIST ezek kutatásában és fejlesztésében folyamatosan részt vesz.
A 20. század végén az USA-ban több mint 700 szövetségi laboratórium működött.
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Meanwhile, the ATP nurtures innovation across a broad range of technology sectors. A study of the first 38 completed ATP projects estimated that the national economic benefits of just several projects will exceed the ATP's entire investment in the more than 450 projects selected at the time of the study. The ATP also has proven to be highly effective in fostering cross-cutting, interdisciplinary collaborations among large and small firms and academic institutions. To assist small businesses, the MEP provides essential support and services, such as help in streamlining manufacturing processes to improve productivity. And a broad consensus has emerged indicating the Baldrige program has greatly improved attention to quality and organizational excellence across the private sector.
A NIST több mint 800 szabványügyi bizottságban képviselteti magát.
Although the economic threat posed by foreign countries has lessened for now, ensuring the nation's ability to compete in the 21st century remains a challenge. Recent analyses by a variety of organizations indicate that the U.S. lead over Japan is widening in technology areas such as software, sensors, and information management. But Japan is leading in other sectors, such as flat-panel displays, and gaining ground in others. And Japan has been joined by many other emerging economies. Of further concern, U.S. investment in research and development is lower as a percentage of national wealth than it was in the early 1980s, leading some to question America's capacity for future innovation.
At the close of the 20th century, there are more than 700 federal laboratories in the United States, a stark contrast to the days when NIST stood alone in focusing on physical science. But NIST's influence continues to be pervasive. In fact, NIST's importance increases with the number of other federal laboratories (and university and corporate research organizations) because many of their measurements need to be traceable to NIST, and because technological innovation and development depend more on measurements now than at any time in the past.
Although the time has passed when U.S. technology standards automatically became de facto world standards, NIST staff continue to work toward ensuring the marketability of U.S. products worldwide by serving on more than 800 standards committees of national and international organizations. NIST also continues to explore the frontiers of science and industry, from atomic physics to electronic books, and the technologies of tomorrow, such as devices designed and fabricated on the nanometer scale that offer stunning new capabilities. Because who knows what tomorrow's equivalent of radio, atomic clocks, lasers, or the Internet will be ... or from where they will come?
==Források==
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