A role for national laboratories in enhancing economic competitiveness: The example of high-temperature superconductors: CNSS papers, No. 1

Description/Abstract

The basic research community is responding splendidly in pushing the limits of superconductivity. The race to commercialize these new materials is on. The US will face unprecedented international competition, especially from the Japanese. The US needs to develop a partnership among universities, federal laboratories, and private industry. Universities have begun to team with industry while some of the large industrial companies like AT and T and IBM are competing effectively. But it will take more to make the mainstream of US industry competitive. Therefore, an initiative is proposed to develop an industry-DOE national laboratory partnership by establishing Exploratory R and D Centers at these laboratories. The centers will concentrate on the R and D for enabling technologies required to commercialize high-temperature superconductors. This initiative will in part help US industry to be competitive in this new and exciting field.