Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing

This executive order directs federal agencies with SBIR or STTR programs to prioritize manufacturing-related research and development. Agency heads must submit annual reports on these efforts to the Small Business Administration and Office of Science and Technology Policy. The SBA Administrator is tasked with establishing reporting formats and schedules, and may issue additional guidelines subject to presidential approval.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 9181

Impact dates

Date TBD
SBA Administrator establishes report formats and schedules after OSTP consultation
Feb 23, 2005
Annual reports from agency heads to SBA and OSTP

Key directives

Agency heads shall give high priority to manufacturing-related R&D in SBIR/STTR programs
Agency heads shall submit annual reports to SBA Administrator and OSTP Director
SBA Administrator shall establish report formats and schedules after OSTP consultation
SBA Administrator authorized to issue guidelines/directives subject to presidential approval through OSTP Director

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Priority directive issued to agency heads for manufacturing-related R&D

Near term (90d)

SBA Administrator to establish report formats and schedules after OSTP consultation

Long term

Annual reporting cycle begins
Potential issuance of additional SBA guidelines after presidential approval

Risks & tensions

No enforcement mechanism or consequences for non-compliance specified
'To the extent permitted by law' and 'consistent with mission' qualifiers may limit actual priority shifts
Guidelines require presidential approval, creating potential bottleneck
Annual reporting burden on agencies without clear use of reports specified
Manufacturing-related definition is broad, potentially diluting focus