Gary Hart: “The Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act is extremely important not only nationally, but for our competitiveness…”

“The Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act is extremely important not only nationally, but for our competitiveness in the world. Western Pennsylvania, where I am from, has a long history of manufacturing and I support the programs that help our manufacturers to remain competitive. H.R. 3598 supports small and medium-sized manufacturers. It helps them to improve their manufacturing processes. It also helps to improve their technology by establishing a pilot program to fund collaborations between universities and industries, that is our employers, to solve problems in manufacturing technology that companies and universities have not been able to solve on their own. This legislation also ensures that Federal agencies will coordinate their programs related to manufacturing R&D and target them towards the concerns that matter most to industry by establishing an interagency committee on manufacturing research and development and an advisory committee of representatives from outside the Federal Government. We have a shortage in this country of scientists and engineers. This bill will help train more students and senior researchers in the manufacturing sciences by establishing post-doctoral and senior research fellowships at NIST.”