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UNKINC AND C00I01NAT1NC PROGRAMS t'i 



R&D Strategics. To foster communication between government and industry 

 laboratories, we encourage the establishment of informal strategy forums 

 designed to bring together representatives of industry and government. A 

 neutral third pany, such as one of the professional societies, the National 

 Research Council, or the Govemment-University-lndustr>- Research Round- 

 table, may be helpful in identifying opportunities for inform^rion cxchangr 

 and strategic planning. In some cases, a government laboratory may be able 

 to serve as a forum and technology broker. 



Joint government-industry demonstration efforts can be particularly 

 useful in showing how innovative technologies can be applied in the in- 

 dusuial scning. Partnerships of this kind can help bridge related govern- 

 ment and industry R&D efforts and promote the transfer and diffusion of 

 technologies within the industrial sector. 



The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Center for 

 Waste Reduction Technologies provides an industry focus for policy ques- 

 tions in this area. The center offers an opportunity for groups of companies 

 to work together to advance the development of waste reduction technol- 

 ogies. However, AIChE influences only a narrow cross-section of industry, 

 albeit a critical one. The institute could build alliances with other profes- 

 sional organizations to expand its base. One possibility is to interaa with 

 the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, which is awakening to the challenges 

 of enviroiuncntal protection. Likewise, EPA's Superfiind Iimovadvc Tech- 

 nology Evaluation program can serve both as a forum and as a technology 

 broker. An industry-led initiative aimed at cooperation with the SITE pro- 

 gram and with EPA's Office of Research and Development could be very 

 productive as well. 



We believe that joint govertunent-industry R&D efforts should em- 

 phasize consolidation of development e£krts without sacrificing the poten- 

 tial for generation of new initiatives that the existence of many sources offers. 

 Such efforts should also identify potential technology bridges to promote 

 the free exchange of information between the principal investigator for an 

 initiative at a federal laboratory and the comparable iniuative leader in in- 

 dustry; cooperative policy planning exercises should also be undertaken. In- 

 dustrial organizarions such as the Petroleum Environmental R>nmi, the AIChE 

 Center for Waste Reduction Technologies, and similar groups in the aircraft 

 and automotive industries should seek new opportunities to interact with 

 government scientists and engineers. 



Joint industry-government technology assessments would be worth- 

 while in certain areas such as economic and technical performance metrics. 

 Efforts such as these help to identify emerging technologies and define new 

 technology needs. 



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