9626585 Schafrik This grant provides funding to the National Academy of Sciences for a study that will identify those fundamental manufacturing challenges that cut across multiple industry sectors and that, if successfully addressed, could result in major departures from current approaches by the 2010 time frame. The most important enabling technologies that would contribute to overcoming the visionary challenges will be described as they differ by industrial sector. The study will take an international perspective by obtaining input from manufacturing companies in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Central and South America, and it will draw on information being developed through the National Science Foundation's Next Generation Manufacturing project. The Next Generation Manufacturing project is establishing an industry consensus for a 10-year vision by industrial sector. This effort will supplement other efforts on the Next Generation Manufacturing project and leverage its results. It will provide guidance to the Foundation and other government agencies to help direct their funding and research efforts aimed at improving the competitiveness of the nation's manufacturing capacity.
