The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration and the Big Three automakers recently formed a partnership to improve the manufacturing competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry. The partnership, called the United States Alliance for Technology and Engineering for Automotive Manufacturing (U.S. A-TEAM), includes scientists and engineers from the National Institute for Standards and Technology, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors. The team will conduct research on three areas related to the U.S. automotive industry: digital/virtual tools, plant floor controllers and ergonomics.

“Technological innovation is an essential key to the manufacturing competitiveness of the U.S. automotive sector,” says Philip J. Bond, undersecretary of commerce for technology. “The U.S. A-TEAM brings together the world-class scientists and engineers of DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GM and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to exchange ideas, share knowledge and engage in collaborative, precompetitive research that will foster economic growth and the creation of high-wage jobs through the global manufacturing leadership of U.S. automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. Even the acronym of this new alliance connotes our commitment to excellence.”

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