Strengthening U.S. Engineering Through International Cooperation Some Recommendations for Action (1987) / Chapter Skim
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2 International Cooperation in Engineering Research
2 International Cooperation in Engineering Research
Pages 12-20
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From page 12... ...
The practice of engineering may be viewed as a spectrum extending from research at the one end, through development and testing, to processing, production, and operations at the other. In the abstract, engineering research activities may be considered separable from other portions of the spectrum.
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From page 13... ...
Specifically, it is suggested that efforts of three general, partly overlapping kinds should be considered: 1. Basic engineering research, characterized by its performers as non-competitive or precompetitive and focused on "enabling" technologies, such as materials development.
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From page 14... ...
2. Applied engineering research, characterized by its performers as having identifiable competitive and proprietary concerns; carried out in industry or by groups under fairly restrictive contract to industry; time-sensitive, as there may only be "windows" of opportunity for such work to be feasible or useful; facing numerous contraints, including economic ones, so that cooperation is recognizably more prescribed.
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From page 15... ...
• traffic control and highway safety (Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, United Kingdom) • Geophysical engineering • earthquake engineering (China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand)
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From page 16... ...
MECHANISMS FOR PROMOTING COOPERATION IN APPLIED ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Cooperation in applied engineering research and development takes place between various combinations of private firms and government agencies. Opportunities exist for cooperation through purely governmental cooperative efforts, such as Apollo-Soyuz, and also agreements between both government agencies and private firms, for example, the European EUREKA programs.7 ,8 Research cooperation in the private sector may employ a range of mechanisms, depending on the size of the participating firms, the nature of the problems addressed, and other considerations.
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From page 17... ...
For example, "strategic alliances" between industrial corporations based in different countries and having complementary technical expertise should be carefully considered.20 NSF probably will have a secondary role in facilitating the development of such connections. The executive departments of Commerce, Defense, and State can do much in this regard, however, most of all by announcing their positive encouragement of such activities, by setting guidelines for their establishment, and by identifying staff in Washington, D.C., and embassies abroad with expertise for expediting international cooperation in engineering research.
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From page 18... ...
In several fields of science and technology there are facilities abroad superior to any available in the United States. If some of these are at present underutilized, they may provide opportunities for mutually beneficial programs.
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From page 19... ...
The committee urges each federal agency with significant international needs, opportunities, or programs in engineering and technology to evaluate these from the point of view of achieving beneficial connections with centers of excellence abroad. It is not unlikely that a variety of acceptable programs can be developed that are mutually beneficial and cost-effective to the United States given the guiding principles of symmetry, quality, patience, and trust.
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From page 20... ...
In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that the inherent value of research projects will almost certainly provide the greatest impetus to successful international cooperation in engineering, as in other fields. It is the opportunities for the application of engineering knowledge to human needs and economic growth in the United States and worldwide that will lead to lasting and productive joint efforts.
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