White House Releases Critical and Emerging Tech Standards Implementation Roadmap

Acknowledging the role standards play at federal agencies to support guidance, procurement, investment and policy activities, the White House last week issued the National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies (NSSCET). The document provides an implementation roadmap to improve coordination of CET investments and actions. Specifically, the NSSCET, “calls on U.S. Departments and Agencies to take stock of their current CET-related standards activities and plans to re-focus and recommit to working with stakeholders to improve both their effectiveness and efficiency.”

According to the latest CET list, such technologies include advanced computing, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, integrated communication and networking, and space technologies and systems.

The roadmap is centered on four objectives:

1. Increase Investment
2. Broaden Participation
3. Enhance Workforce
4. Sustain Integrity and Inclusivity

The roadmap also defines near-term and long-term activities to meet the four objectives.

Near-term:

• Identify opportunities and existing budgetary resources to increase pre-standardization R&D and standards participation efforts
• Track and evaluate current CET standards education grants and programs that remove barriers to stakeholder participation in standards activities
• Track and evaluate current technology cooperation agreements and international mechanisms for standards-related communication and cooperation

Long-term activities include expanding coordination across agencies and with the private sector on standards-related activities, as well as providing funding for CET R&D and pre-standardization coordination. The government is also expected to increase educational efforts in standards and engage academia and the private sector in standards development efforts.

According to the White House Fact Sheet on the NSSCET, several federal agencies are already undergoing efforts of the roadmap. For example, NIST is coordinating federal implementation of standards, and plans to establish a Standardization Center of Excellence as a public-private partnership to focus on areas such as pre-standardization engagement and information and data sharing on CETs. Other standards-setting agency participants include Transportation, Defense, State and Energy.

Contractor Implications

Objectives in the NSSCET will prompt further investment in standards-setting for CETs and confirms that standards will be led by the private sector. The White House refers to increasing investment in CET standards R&D through initiatives such as the National Artificial Intelligence Resource, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the 21st Century Cures Act. Moreover, the increase in procurement and investment in CETs will be a direct result of standards creating and implementation.