White House Unveils Implementation Roadmap for Critical Technology Standards

Insider Brief

• The Biden-Harris Administration released a roadmap to implement the U.S. National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology, emphasizing private sector-led development and international collaboration.
• The strategy aims to counter foreign influence in standards development, protecting U.S. innovation and economic security through coordinated efforts across government and private sectors.
• Key initiatives include enhancing standards coordination, providing sustained funding for R&D, and fostering collaboration among industry, academia, and international partners.

The Biden-Harris Administration has released the Implementation Roadmap for the U.S. Government’s May 2023 National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET). This roadmap is part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to a standards development process led by the private sector, bolstered by partnerships with public institutions, according to a statement from the White House. It calls for active engagement in the standardization of critical and emerging technologies (CETs) to protect U.S. national and economic security.

“This plan is a call to action,” Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio, a key partner in the roadmap-making process, said in a statement. “It is time for all of us — the U.S. government, our partners and allies, the private sector, academia, professional societies and civil society organizations — to work together to sustain our proven, voluntary, consensus-driven, private sector-led standards system. In short, the release of the Implementation Roadmap is the start of our efforts, not the end.”

Critical and emerging technologies (CETs) include communication and networking technologies, quantum information technologies, semiconductors and microelectronics, artificial intelligence, biotechnologies and clean energy technologies, among others, according to the NIST statement.

Standards play a vital role in commerce and the reliable functioning of essential products and services, according to the White House statement. They ensure interoperability among technologies from various suppliers, facilitate efficient operations in manufacturing, and promote a competitive marketplace. By providing a common language, standards enable trade, simplify transactions, and accelerate innovation across disciplines and borders.

Recognizing the strategic importance of CETs, the Administration aims to counter foreign competitors’ influence over international standards, which could jeopardize leadership opportunities for U.S. innovators and the availability of quality products and services. The roadmap outlines steps the U.S. Government will take to meet the objectives of the USG NSSCET, organized around eight key efforts. These efforts require extensive coordination with the private sector and international allies.

Key Principles and Approach

The U.S. Government is dedicated to supporting a private sector-led standards development process characterized by transparency, public-private partnerships, and free market competition, according to the White House. The roadmap emphasizes the need for an inclusive and diverse standards system driven by robust research and innovation.

The Departments of Commerce and State, along with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, will work with private sector leaders like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to engage international partners and promote this approach globally. ANSI oversees the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system, while NIST coordinates Federal Government involvement in standards activities. The USG NSSCET complements ANSI’s United States Standards Strategy (USSS) and aligns with U.S. Government priorities for CET standards development.

The roadmap calls on stakeholders—including industry, startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, academia, and civil society—to collaborate with U.S. Government officials and ANSI to lower barriers, incentivize participation, and protect the integrity of international standards development. Building on initiatives like the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the 21st Century Cures Act, the roadmap focuses on both short-term actions and long-term outcomes to enhance global trade, manufacturing interoperability, and U.S. competitiveness through CET standardization.

Immediate and Long-term Actions

In the short term, the U.S. Government will:

• Identify opportunities to increase pre-standardization R&D and standards participation efforts.
• Track and evaluate current standards education grants and programs.
• Assess existing technology cooperation agreements and international mechanisms for standards-related communication and cooperation.

For sustained long-term outcomes, the roadmap includes steps to:

• Enhance standards coordination within the federal government and with the private sector.
• Improve standards policy coordination between the U.S. Government and foreign governments.
• Recognize and incentivize federal agency engagement in standardization.
• Provide sustained funding for CET R&D and pre-standardization coordination.
• Engage academia as a critical partner in standards development.
• Improve educational efforts and communication about standards.
• Remove barriers to participation in standardization.

Federal Agency Initiatives

Several U.S. Government agencies are demonstrating their commitment to these goals:

• NIST: Coordinates federal agency standards implementation, providing expertise across science and technology, including AI. NIST will establish a Standardization Center of Excellence focusing on pre-standardization engagement, workforce capacity building, data sharing, and collaborative programs in CETs.
• Department of Commerce: Administers the CHIPS for America program, supporting semiconductor R&D and manufacturing. The CHIPS and Science Act appropriated $50 billion to accelerate the development and deployment of technical standards.
• USPTO: Partners with foreign entities to enhance standards essential patent licensing markets. Recent collaborations include an MOU with the UK Intellectual Property Office and efforts with the World Intellectual Property Organization.
• NTIA: Manages the $1.5 billion Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to promote open, standards-based wireless networks, coordinating with private sector and international partners.
• ITA: Engages in multilateral and bilateral fora to promote international standards and best practices. ITA’s Digital, Standards, and Intellectual Property Attachés help U.S. companies access global markets and navigate regulatory issues.
• Department of State: Supports a transparent, private sector-led international standards development process, enhancing the representation of like-minded nations and expanding their alignment with U.S. standards governance.
• Department of Defense (DoD): Collaborates with ANSI and private sector on defense-related standards, engaging internationally to support defense capability and interoperability.
• Department of Transportation (DOT): Supports standards advancement for safe and efficient transportation, collaborating with multiple standards organizations on topics like autonomous vehicles and intelligent transportation systems.
• Department of Energy (DOE): Leads international standardization efforts to accelerate the adoption of transformative energy technologies. DOE experts contribute to standards in areas like hydrogen, energy storage, AI, and high-performance computing.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): Encourages researcher participation in standards development, aligning with the CHIPS and Science Act to translate research into practice and inform standards development.
• FBI: Engages in public safety standards activities, contributing to standards development for emergency communications, countering counterfeit devices, and addressing domain name system abuse.

These coordinated efforts across the U.S. Government aim to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and national security through a robust and inclusive standards development process for critical and emerging technologies.