The National Network for Critical Technology Strategy aimed to build the intellectual foundations, data, and analytic tools to inform the U.S. National Technology Strategy and advance the security, prosperity, and social well-being of all citizens.
Over the last half-century, the global geopolitical balance of scientific, economic, and production capabilities has shifted away from US dominance. Meanwhile, we face equal or greater challenges on the home front, where economic inequality has increased and social mobility has declined. Central to these issues are trade and technology. Yet, little is understood regarding pathways to simultaneously advance U.S. competitiveness in critical technologies and the well-being of all citizens.
The CHIPs and Science Act created an unprecedented mandate for the U.S. to have a National Technology Strategy and for NSF's Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) program to annually link emerging technologies to global and domestic challenges and thus needed U.S. investments, and yet, it leaves open the question of how to achieve this mandate. Our one-year $4M pilot for a National Network for Critical Technology Assessment—funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) TIP—brought together academics from across the country to demonstrate how analytics could uniquely inform National Technology Strategy across government missions and to define a vision for critical technology assessment, including current capabilities, gaps, and the national investment and organizational form needed to realize that vision.
Our goal was to present a vision for critical technology assessment, including current capabilities, gaps, and the national investment and organizational form needed to fulfill that vision, including:
Pilot-year demonstrations and other activities were designed to meet these goals, culminating in the public release of a final report in October 2023.