{"286801":{"#nid":"286801","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NAS Study Assesses Two Decades of Effort to Strengthen American Manufacturing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by the \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Academies\u003C\/strong\u003E (NAS), 21st Century Manufacturing: The Role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, has been published by a committee of business executives and academic experts, chaired by \u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EPhilip Shapira.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study seeks to generate a better understanding of the operation, achievements, and challenges of the \u003Cstrong\u003EManufacturing Extension Partnership\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(MEP). A program of the U.S. Department of Commerce\u0027s National Institute of Standards and Technology, the MEP has sought for more than two decades to strengthen American manufacturing\u2014and the resultant jobs\u2014in a rapidly changing competitive environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe national network of affiliated manufacturing extension centers works directly with manufacturing firms to provide expertise, services, and assistance toward improving growth, supply chain positioning, leveraging emerging technologies, improving manufacturing process, work force training, and the application and implementation of information in client companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study concluded with key findings that addressed the need for a strong domestic manufacturing base in maintaining global competitiveness in advanced technologies and assessed the efficacy of the MEP, the leading U.S. government program designed to provide support services to manufacturers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe committee also authored recommendations aimed to improve the structure of and methods utilized by the MEP, including a stronger focus on the overall improvement of MEP centers, improved collection and analysis of performance data, and using resources to leverage maximum beneficial outcomes for the manufacturing sector\u0026nbsp;rather than reaching the maximum number of manufacturers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty\/bio\/shapira\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPhilip Shapira\u003C\/a\u003E is a professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech and a professor of management, innovation, and policy with the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research. His interests encompass science and technology policy, economic and regional development, innovation management and policy, industrial competitiveness, technology trajectories and assessment, innovation measurement, and policy evaluation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EView or download the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nap.edu\/catalog.php?record_id=18448\u0022\u003Efull report\u003C\/a\u003E. The committee also produced a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nap.edu\/catalog.php?record_id=18329\u0022\u003Esymposium report\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study by the \u003Cstrong\u003ENational Academies\u003C\/strong\u003E (NAS), 21st Century Manufacturing: The Role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, has been published by a committee of business executives and academic experts, chaired by \u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Professor \u003Cstrong\u003EPhilip Shapira.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study by the National Academies (NAS), 21st Century Manufacturing: The Role of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, has been published by a committee of business executives and academic experts, chaired by SPP professor Philip Shapi"}],"uid":"27889","created_gmt":"2014-03-28 15:46:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:16:07","author":"Beth Godfrey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2014-03-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"119761":{"id":"119761","type":"image","title":"Philip Shapira","body":null,"created":"1449178268","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:31:08","changed":"1475894741","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:45:41","alt":"Philip Shapira","file":{"fid":"194343","name":"0514601-p18-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":372964,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/0514601-p18-4_0.jpg?itok=DofN3yHX"}}},"media_ids":["119761"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"},{"id":"79661","name":"MEP"},{"id":"468","name":"NAS"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}