New Forces at Work

In this age of rapidly advancing technology, what will it take for the United States to remain competitive in the world economy? What new technologies are essential to build new industries, to drive economic growth, to improve the health and quality of life of our people, to ensure national security, and to protect the environment? Since 1991, the federal government has sponsored reports to address these questions and gain insights into key technologies or technological areas. New Forces at Work: Industry Views Critical Technologies, explores this set of issues surrounding this area of policy from an industry perspective. The authors engaged and solicited the views of presidents, CEOs, and Chief Technology Officers from 39 firms representing a cross section of industries. The result is a revealing look at the state of five major technology sectors that U.S. industry cited as essential: software, microelectronics and telecommunications technologies, manufacturing technologies, materials, and sensor and imaging technologies.