About the Technology Needs Manufacturing Survey
One of the tremendous obstacles to successful technology transfer and commercialization is the lack of a centralized database containing critical information about what technological processes, skills, proficiencies and operational capacities each U.S. manufacturer possesses. In addition, little is known in most manufacturing sectors about what technologies would be of interest to any given manufacturer in terms of product and market development. Finally, this survey project seeks to learn what technologies a manufacturer needs that would enable it to build more competitive products for either existing or new markets.

NCOE is planning to work closely with the GAMBIT Center to conduct an in-depth “technology needs manufacturing survey” that will address all of these issues. A pilot study is currently under way in Utah to develop and refine the first phase of this survey. Once fully developed, the survey will utilize the new Virtual Industrial Park-Enhanced Resources (VIP-ER) System to conduct the survey across a much larger group of U.S. manufacturers. Funding will be sought to eventually survey all 480,000 small and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers in the U.S. The SME companies build approximately 98% of all the products consumed by U.S. market participants. Survey data will be placed into a database and made available through this website and other web-based locations to all U.S. manufacturers, universities, and interested parties, thereby significantly increasing the opportunities and abilities of SME manufacturers to successfully compete in world technology commercialization markets.

Technology Needs Manufacturing Survey Project
If you have specific questions about the Technology Needs Manufacturing Survey Project, or would like to participate directly in this or any of the Center’s other project activities, contact NCOE.