Industrial Technology Assessments An Evaluation of the Research Program of the Office of Industrial Technologies (1999) / Chapter Skim
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4 Assessment of the IOF Approach
4 Assessment of the IOF Approach
Pages 32-51
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From page 32... ...
The IOF strategy is intended to improve OIT-industry partnerships, ensure the relevance of research projects, encourage industry participation, and facilitate the commercialization of developed technologies. The stated long-term goals of OIT are to achieve a 25 percent improvement in energy efficiency and 30 percent reduction in emissions for the IOF industries by 2010 and a 35 percent improvement in energy efficiency and 50 percent reduction in emissions by 2020 (OIT, 1998a)
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From page 33... ...
However, vision documents and road maps must be "living documents," that is, flexible enough to accommodate changes in the technological and business climate. Maintaining the consensus by updating the industry vision and technology road maps will be critical to the future of the IOF program.
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From page 34... ...
The industry developed a technology road map, which was published in June 1997 (Aluminum Association, 1997~. Subsequently, a road map to address one of the industry's most pressing needs, the development of inert anode technology was published (Aluminum Association, 1998)
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From page 36... ...
increase supplier and customer relationships in raw materials, equipment, and energy savings A compact between DOE and industry representatives Anchor Glass Containers, Carr Lowrey Glass Company, Certainteed Corporation, Corning, Ford Motor Company, the Glass Packaging Institute, and the Society of Glass Science and Practices was signed on April 29, 1996. An industry road map that addresses the four principal industry segments flat glass, container glass, fiberglass, and specialty glass has been published (Energetics, 1997~.
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From page 37... ...
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From page 38... ...
The CMC, through its executive board and technical committees, oversees the IOF R&D. Projects are reviewed by the CMC technical committees, which select candidate projects based on the road map and vision document.
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From page 39... ...
to reflect changes in industry objectives, technologies, and the business climate. Industry Participation One of the primary motivations for the IOF strategy is to increase the participation of industry groups in the OIT program by making research more relevant to industry.
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From page 40... ...
· projects started before an industry vision document or technology road map was developed (pre-vision, pre-road maps) · projects started after the release of the industry vision document but before completion of technology road maps (post-vision, preread maps)
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From page 41... ...
. It will be very difficult for OIT to keep track of all types of industry research that results from the vision and road map processes, and the committee believes that the impacts of industrial research related to the industry vision documents and road maps might not be accounted for.
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From page 42... ...
For example, the 82 percent increase for industry-specific research for the aluminum industry from FY97 to FY99 reflects the industry's road maps and established priorities, which facilitated the solicitation of research proposals. Now that most of the industry groups have finished at least preliminary road maps, OIT will have to develop a rational process for allocating limited funds among the IOF industries to support their identified needs.
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From page 43... ...
OIT should establish a rational, transparent process for allocating funds among IOF industries and then allow them to set project directives based on their road maps, as long as the projects are consistent with OIT's mission. Previous attempts to use input from industry representatives to identify research priorities to improve their competitiveness have been criticized in Congress as "corporate welfare." For example, DOD's Technology Reinvestment Program and the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program were criticized for inappropriately aiding commercial industry.
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From page 44... ...
The recommendations in Chapter 3 relate to the committee's suggested approach to managing crosscutting programs. Crosscutting programs that predate the IOF strategy include major initiatives, such as the ATS program, which is now part of a combined heat and power global climate change initiative, and the more mature CFCC and AIM programs.
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From page 45... ...
The LCC includes representatives of the following organizations: Albany Research Center, Ames Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Federal Energy Technology Center, Idaho National Energy and Engineering Laboratory, Kansas City Plant, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Institute for Petroleum and Energy research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Savannah River Technology Center, and the Y-12 Plant. The LCC, which was established to facilitate interactions between the national laboratories and the IOF industry groups, has developed separate mechanisms for interacting with each industry group and for addressing crosscutting areas.
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From page 46... ...
how the market-pull could be harnessed. To answer the first question, OIT ranked industries according to their level of energy consumption and waste production, the linchpins of the IOF strategy.
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From page 47... ...
OIT should participate directly in a limited number of commercial insertion programs but only for the purpose of identifying remaining technical hurdles. OIT has a number of technology access programs to validate and commercialize new energy-saving manufacturing technologies.
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From page 48... ...
But all of these programs predate the IOF strategy, and their links to the IOF road maps and priorities are weak. These validation and commercialization programs should be established and planned from the onset of OIT participation to be more effectively integrated with the IOF program.
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From page 49... ...
, and biannual industrial energy efficiency symposia and expositions. Solicitations are accessible through the Worldwide Web and the network of the industry associations involved in the program, as well as in Commerce Business Daily.
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From page 50... ...
The principal tangible successes have been the creation of industry vision documents and technology road maps. Although the committee believes that the IOF strategy will make the OIT program more effective, it is too early to judge the effect of the IOF strategy on the effectiveness of DOE-sponsored research in terms of OIT's mission of reducing waste and energy consumption.
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From page 51... ...
Recommendation. OIT should continue to adhere closely to the philosophy of the IOF program (i.e., continue to work closely with industry and allow industry to guide the process and set priorities)
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