Driving Competitiveness through Partnerships

The manufacturing sector is being reshaped by a new generation of partnerships. U.S. firms have formed consortia for research and development (R&D) and, in the future, may share manufacturing costs in joint production ventures. Teams of noncompetitors are a new model for joint development and commercialization of enabling technologies. Small firms are major producers of technologies, but often lack the manufacturing and marketing resources for full-scale commercialization. Partnerships with larger firms and shared manufacturing centers can integrate small firms into larger networks and structures. Federal policies now encourage U.S. firms to work with federal laboratories to commercialize federal R&D, often through cooperative R&D agreements. Companies are changing the way they work internally by forming close relationships with suppliers, cross-functional teaming, and forging partnerships with the workforce. The Bush administration launched the National Technology Initiative, a coast-to-coast series of conferences to bridge the gaps between America's R&D performers, industry, and the financial community.