Reports & resources.

TOWARDS A EUROPEAN STRATEGY FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY, an "action plan" for European funding for research and development, says "Europe needs knowledge" in order for it to stay competitive in global markets. The plan will "boost support for collaborative R&D." The 25-page report is located at

DECREASING ENERGY INTENSITY IN MANUFACTURING: ASSESSING THE STRATEGIES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF THE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM run by the Department of Energy, a report from the National Academies of Sciences, finds that the program is doing a good job in achieving its goals. "The data are beginning to show significant cumulative energy and cost savings," says the report, prepared by the Board of Manufacturing and Engineering Design. "A high-level of energy and momentum exists within the ITP staff for implementing changes and improving the ITP." The cost-shared industry/government R&D program targets seven major manufacturing industries that account for 75 percent of the energy consumed by U.S. industry: aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining and steel. For a copy of the report, go to http://books.nap.edu/books/0309095743/huml/1.html or call 888-624-8373.

HIGH PERFORMANCE STRUCTURAL FIBERS FOR ADVANCED POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES assesses the status of the carbon and fiber industries, identifies market trends and suggests how the Department of Defense can take advantage of new manufacturing innovations. The 70page report, from the National Academies of Sciences, is available at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11268.html or by calling 888-624-8373.

CONNECTING TO YOUR FUTURE: THE NETWORKING OF EVERY MANUFACTURED THING, a report from Harbor Research, says companies must change their entire operations due to the convergence of device networking, wireless sensors, machine-to-machine communications and the Internet. "Global 'living intelligence' will streamline operations and enable new services-based business models with the potential to drive unprecedented growth," says the study. "This means that the generation, storage and interpretation of device data will become inseparable from the enterprise of the future."

Harbor says the inclusion of a intelligent networked devices embedded in every manufactured product will lead to "the most profound technological disruption in the history of humanity. Ultimately, this phenomenon will change civilization more than electrification, the telephone, the train, the automobile, the airplane and the World Wide Web all put together." For a copy of the report, go to http://www.harborresearch. com/info@harborresearch.com or call 800-595-9368.

FUTURE OF AMERICAN ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS is a book by Kent Hughes, formerly the president of the Council on Competitiveness and now director of Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. An introduction to the book is located at http://www.wilsoncenter.org/ docs/staff/Hughes_hughes_intro.pdf.

THINKING OFFSHORING THROUGH: A FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION MAKERS, a report from the Conference Board, says companies need to calculate the risks and not just the rewards that offshoring entails. "Once a company outsources or offshores, it is on its way to creating a virtual corporation--a network of companies and operations that must work together and should act as if they were one integrated firm," says report author Ton Heijmen. The report is located at http://www.conferenceboard. org.

BEST MANUFACTURING PRACTICES (BMP) surveys: Calce Electronic Products and Systems Center, College Park, Md.; U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Go to http://www.bmpcoe.org.

CYBERSTATES 2005, from the American Electronics Association, describes high-tech employment in every state. It is available at http://www.aeanet.org.

OFFSETS IN DEFENSE TRADE, from the Bureau of Industry and Security at the Commerce Department, is available at http://www.bis.doc.gov/defenseindustrial baseprograms.

ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS' LICENSING SURVEY 2003 provides quantitative information about licensing activities at 236 U.S. and Canadian universities, hospitals and research institutions. The report finds that "Canadian technology transfer is more people-intensive, selective and cost-effective on the patent side and creates more startup companies than in the U.S." For a copy of the report call AUTM in Northbrook, Ill., at 847-559-0846.

GLOBAL AFTERMARKET TRENDS: CHINA, a report from the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, says China is poised to become the world's third largest motor vehicle market and that "many obstacles to U.S. aftermarket companies have been eliminated, including trading rights restrictions and tariffs." As a result, U.S. auto parts exports to China have more than doubled. "With the recent openings of distribution channels, there is tremendous opportunity for foreign companies to shape China's aftermarket," says AAIA president Kathleen Schmatz. Sales of automobiles in China have increased by 166 percent in four years and now surpass those of France, South Korea, Spain and Canada. China should pass Germany in the next couple of years. For a copy of the 134-page report ($395 for AAIA members and $695 for non members), call 301-654-6664.

THE 45TH ANNUAL SURVEY OF PAPER, PAPERBOARD AND PULP CAPACITY, from the American Forest & Paper Association, finds that U.S. paper capacity stabilized in 2004 after three years of decline. Capacity should increase by 0.3 percent a year for the next three years, as compared to 2.2 percent a year during the 1990s. The $645 survey, which covers U.S. industry capacity plans for 2005 to 2007, is available by calling Sharon Houlihan at 202-463-2724.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: U.S. EFFORTS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO STRENGTHENED LAWS OVERSEAS BUT SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGES REMAIN is a 23-page report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO-05-788T) located at http://www.gao.gov/ new.items/d05788t.pdf.

NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY: INVENTORY OF MAJOR FEDERAL ENERGY PROGRAMS AND STATUS OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS is a 142-page report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO-05-379) located at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05379.pdf. PROGRESS OF THE DD(X) DESTROYER PROGRAM is a 23-page report from the Government Accountability Office located at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05752r.pdf.