Manufacturing & Technology News articles from January 2005

Manufacturing & Technology News archives from January 2005

DOD to propose 'Investment Fund' to jumpstart innovative companies.
January 6, 2005... The Defense Department is considering creating a new program aimed at helping small- and medium-sized companies overcome the "valley of death" in introducing new technologies into a variety of weapons systems. The Office of the Deputy Under...

Heritage Foundation initiates study on health of defense industrial base.
January 6, 2005... The conservative Heritage Foundation has initiated a major study on the health of the U.S. defense industrial base. The foundation is assembling a task force to study the "Military Industrial Base in the Age of Globalization" and will produce a...

Sen. Lieberman wants answers to basic outsourcing questions.
January 6, 2005... There has been a lot of talk about the offshore outsourcing of U.S. jobs, but there isn't very much known about the trend other than through anecdotal stories, says a report from the staff of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.). Without data, it is...

NEMI is no longer in business to save U.S. manufacturing.
January 6, 2005... The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, which was created a decade ago to rebuild the United States electronics components manufacturing sector, is no longer a "national" initiative. NEMI has changed its name to iNEMI, or the...

Domestic manufacturers become active in NAM trade policy debates.
January 6, 2005... A contingent of small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers that are members of the National Association of Manufacturers are pressing the organization to adopt changes to its policies promoting free trade. These companies are encouraging...

USTR says China is making good progress in meeting its WTO commitments.
January 6, 2005... China is making good progress in becoming more compliant with World Trade Organization rules governing its trading practices with the United States, according to the United States Trade Representative. Reports from the private sector about...

Energy Department praises Delphi's fuel cell work.
January 6, 2005... Delphi Corp. has achieved a "breakthrough" in increasing the power density of solid oxide fuel cells. A joint research venture between Delphi, Battelle and the Department of Energy has built a small fuel cell that exceeds the power density...

The 2005 federal budget is done; billions of dollars are sent flowing.
January 6, 2005... Congress finished its work on the 2005 budget late last year. The final bill agreed to by both the House and Senate and signed by President Bush is not easy to find, especially when searching for the version that contains the thousands of...

Helping small U.S. manufacturers becomes primary thrust of Small Business Administration.
January 6, 2005... The Small Business Administration has been directed to pay closer attention to the health and welfare of small manufacturing companies. In the recently passed "Small Business Reauthorization and Manufacturing Assistance Act of 2004,"...

Florida wants to spur manufacturing.
January 6, 2005... Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has proposed tax cuts to spur manufacturing. The state's Economic Development Council says it wants to eliminate the 6 percent sales tax on research and development equipment purchased by manufacturing companies. It would...

Companies need to prepare now for RFID demands.
January 24, 2005... Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags will have a big impact on the operations of manufacturing companies, according to Rockwell Automation. RFID requirements are starting at the retail level, but the impact will be felt throughout entire...

DOD buying chief outlines acquisition strategies for firms.
January 24, 2005... Acquisition officials in the U.S. military are moving to a new model of purchasing broad "capabilities" that are fully integrated with communications networks. "We are moving in a new direction and these changes have already begun to be...

Engler: learning on the job.
January 24, 2005... After three months as the new president of the National Association of Manufacturers, what has former Michigan Gov. John Engler learned about his new job? "I think one of the things that's been most interesting is we're a membership...

DOD funds new technology demo projects.
January 24, 2005... The Pentagon has selected the latest winners in its annual competition for Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs). The Defense Department's Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics received about 100...

USTR asks WTO to study EU customs.
January 24, 2005... Different customs offices and procedures followed by the 25 member countries of the European Union constitute a barrier for U.S. exporters, according to a complaint filed by the United States Trade Representative with the World Trade...

Trade deficit sets record.
January 24, 2005... The trade deficit in goods reached $64 billion in November, an increase of $4 billion from October. Exports of goods decreased by $2.6 billion, to $66.5 billion, while imports of goods increased $1.4 billion to $130.7 billion. Service...

EU to stimulate 'large scale' research in 'Technology Platforms'.
January 24, 2005... The European Community has proposed a major new science and technology initiative bringing together companies, research and financial institutions and regulatory authorities to develop and apply new technologies. The proposed "Technology...

EU creates network for European Researchers in U.S.
January 24, 2005... The European Union is putting in place a network to link together the 100,000 Europeans engaged in research and development in the United States. The European Researchers Abroad-Link (ERA-Link) is a project that "is based on the premise that...

NAM president defends his desire to lobby for the appointment of conservative judges.
January 24, 2005... The desire by the new president of the National Association of Manufacturing to lobby Congress for appointment of conservative judges has ruffled some feathers in Washington, D.C. John Engler, the former Republican Governor of Michigan who...

NAM committee approves a new trade policy; USBIC attacks NAM, U.S. Chamber.
January 24, 2005... The National Association of Manufacturers is putting the finishing touches on a new trade policy aimed in part at measuring the impact trade is having on domestic manufacturers. NAM's trade committee recently met and discussed language to be...

The U.S. Foundry Industry can't compete.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 24, 2005... While the local foundries wail about the wicked Chinese, ("Foundry Industry Is In A State of Shock," Nov. 4, 2004), the fact remains that the Chinese have material advantages that have nothing to do with unfair competition. The Chinese are...

Oh, yes it can.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 24, 2005... Contrary to the dire assessments by some in the U.S. foundry industry ("U.S. Foundry Industry Is In A State of Shock," Nov. 4, 2004), the Chicago-area based North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) points to current industry trends and...

DOD industry fund.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 24, 2005... Though the Defense Investment Fund ("DOD To Propose Investment Fund To Jumpstart Innovative Companies," Jan. 6, 2005) smacks of industrial policy, the fund seems well justified. Innovation comes from all kinds of sources and to have an...

IRS issues repatriation rules.
January 24, 2005... The Treasury Department and the IRS have released the first in a series of rules for U.S. companies planning to invest earnings from overseas subsidiaries under the American Jobs Creation Act. For one year, U.S. companies will be allowed an 85...

New rules for Small Businesses.
January 24, 2005... The Small Business Administration is implementing new rules that enable the federal government to accurately monitor contract awards being made to small companies that have been purchased or have merged with larger firms. The new policy...

The state of lean: more remains to be done.
January 24, 2005... As we enter the New Year, I find my attention turning from the history of lean to the future of lean. What do I see? On one level, it is hard to imagine how things could be going better: * Toyota continues to march from victory to...