Technology for Economic Growth: A Checklist of Clinton Administration Key Accomplishments Establish clear policies for the Federal Government's role in civilian technology, including a shift in the Federal R&D balance for civilian technology toward a 50/50 ratio. Developed within the Administration's first month an explicit, aggres- sive plan for using technology to support America's economic growth. Submitted and advanced a budget for FY 1994 that included an addi- tional $2.6 billion investment in civilian R&D, moving the government toward greater civilian-military balance in Federal R&D support. Launch the Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) to stimulate the transition from defense to civilian industrial capabilities. Conducted a national outreach initiative to ensure maximum TRP participation by U.S. industry, generating 2,850 proposals for this unprecedented, ARPA-led multiagency program. Selected 41 projects, accounting for $140 million in requested Federal matching funds the first wave of grants to projects designed to create jobs by promoting new, dual-use technologies. Planned to announce remainder of awards in this $472 million merit- based program in November. Expand dramatically the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to spur industry's development of high-risk, high-payoff commercial technologies. Strongly endorsed the tenet behind this cost-shared program with industry to support high-risk, high-potential commercial technologies, a major change in policy from previous Administrations. Designed the scale-up of the ATP to ensure that it has major impact on the U.S. economy and won congressional support for dramatic funding expansion for this program to $200 million in FY 1994, up from $68 million at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Stan- dards and Technology. Planned to announce 60 new ATP awards to industry in FY 1994, plus three first-time strategic program competitions. Increase access to commercially useful technology at Federal R&D agencies. Made a clear break with prior Administrations by placing heavy empha- sis on dual-use technology development by the Department of Defense to ensure that military and commercial sectors benefit mutually from technology advances and proposed an additional $260 million for this effort. Declared goals and established a specific plan for strengthening and streamlining linkages between Department of Energy laboratories and U.S. industry. Upgraded technology commercialization priorities at the National Aero- nautics and Space Administration. Mobilize Federal resources and policies to support the National Informa- tion Infrastructure (NII). Set an ambitious action agenda for a National Information Infrastructure that clarifies private- and public-sector responsibilities and makes clear the fundamental requirements for universal citizen access and commercial-sector benefits. Organized a multiagency task force to coordinate the Federal Government's NII activities and to work closely with industry in carry- ing out the action agenda and in addressing specific policy issues. President Clinton signed legislation to transfer to the private sector a portion (200 MHz) of the radio frequency spectrum now used by Federal agencies, and to allow competitive bidding in granting new licenses thereby promoting private investment in the National Information Infrastructure. Initiated a grants program to ensure all Americans have access to the NII and won congressional approval for $26 million to begin the initiative. Promote technology-based exports by revamping and liberalizing govern- ment export control and promotion programs, and by establishing and carrying out supportive trade policies. Completed a major review of government's trade promotion and export policies and operations and developed a strategy to boost U.S. exports by 60 percent and generate 6 million new jobs by the year 2000. Freed up $35 billion in exports by reducing controls on U.S. computer, supercomputer, and telecommunications products, raising the threshold for licensing computer exports, and proposing a dramatic change in the definition of a supercomputer and removal of prior export licensing requirements for most telecommunications exports. Began to streamline and improve the government's export promotion programs, creating a pilot one-stop shop to eliminate the maze of Federal offices that exporters must now contact. Advanced the NAFTA agreement, which is expected to bring substantial benefits for U.S. technology-based industries and workers. Establish a network of manufacturing extension centers to assist small and medium-sized businesses to modernize. Created a comprehensive plan to scale up from seven government- supported centers to a nationwide network of 100 centers in a Manu- facturing Extension Partnership by 1997. Jump-started this national network through the defense Technology Reinvestment Project, and gained congressional support to fund addi- tional centers in FY 1994. Make worker training and education more accessible and more productive to better prepare the American workers of tomorrow. Established a new Office of the American Workplace in the Department of Labor to speed the adoption of high-performance work practices, including people-oriented technology strategies. Initiated a thorough review of federally funded retraining and assistance programs with the aims of consolidating the patchwork of existing services and of improving program effectiveness. Proposed creation of a national system of standards for occupational skills to improve the match between workers' skills and businesses' workforce needs. (Legislation is pending in Congress.) Advocated an initiative to build an effective school-to-work system that prepares young people for high-skill, high-wage jobs. Developed an aggressive and innovative program for investing in education and training technologies. Create new Federal partnerships with industry to strengthen U.S. economy and create jobs through the development and commercialization of technology. Established a partnership with the auto industry for a new generation of more energy-efficient vehicles, the Clean Car Initiative, and agreed upon aggressive, far-reaching goals. Entered into a record number of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements between Federal technology agencies and U.S. industry, with an additional 1,600 new joint projects expected this year. Began or strengthened collaborations with industry through consortia covering semiconductors, display technology, textiles, biosensors, aero- space alloys, polymer blends, and microelectromechanical systems. Create a business environment that fosters innovation and forward-looking private-sector investments. Won congressional approval of tax incentives for private-sector invest- ment in R&D and new business formation, including a 3-year extension of the R&D credit and a targeted capital gains reduction for investments in small businesses. Harmonize environmental and economic objectives and improve efficiency in the use of energy resources. Developed a strategy for reducing the growth of greenhouse gases linked to global warming, including initiatives relying on increased energy efficiency that will stimulate technology investments and strengthen the U.S. position in the global environmental marketplace. In addition to the Clean Car initiative, launched separate initiatives: to fund a long-term Federal R&D effort for natural gas and to develop environmentally sound technologies and to boost exports of these technologies. Organize government technology efforts to perform more efficiently and effectively, and to work more closely with the private sector. Created a strong, new system to better coordinate technology plans and programs across the government and with industry. Championed key legislative proposals to increase coordination across government agencies and to improve the effectiveness of Federal technology programs. Made advanced civilian technology a top priority at the Commerce Department for the first time and developed a department-wide strategy for meeting industry's technology-related development, commercializa- tion, and trade needs. Launched a wide-ranging effort to reinvent government, including the start of a major push to capitalize on new technologies to revamp Federal agency operations and better serve industry and the public. Maintain U.S. leadership in basic science, mathematics, and engineering. Worked with the Congress to increase the National Science Foundation's FY 1994 budget by 11 percent to a total of $3 billion, providing: strong support for fundamental research critical to manufac- turing, advanced materials, environmental technologies, and biotechnology; establishment of a technical education program geared to community colleges; and doubled support for modernizing academic research facilities and instrumentation.