Federal information: Foundation for national competitiveness

The National Technical Information Service functions as a cornerstone for the Federal technological publishing structure in the United States. It is a key participant in the development of those information processes that are helping, in part, to support U.S. productivity and industrial innovation. NTIS, which recognizes the relationship between information and competiveness, links the end products of information producers to those who need them. Many complicated issues confront all of us, in terms of sharing information for greater national competitiveness. For example, what steps can be taken to ensure and improve the use of government generated scientific and technical knowledge, how can NTIS better serve more government sources and customers, and what are the implications of recent government policies in terms of technology transfer? This article explores these and related issues.