USG NATIONAL STANDARDS STRATEGY 

FOR CRITICAL AND EMERGING 

TECHNOLOGY (CET)

Date
DYNAMIC GLOBAL LANDSCAPE OF STANDARDS 

DEVELOPMENT

The future of U.S. innovation, 

competition, and national 

security is at risk

The U.S. must uphold the 

integrity of international 

standards in coordination with 

likeminded partners and allies

A clear vision is needed to 

sustain engagement in global 

standards-setting 
BIG PLAYERS STANDARDIZATION “SYSTEMS" In the U.S.• Voluntary, decentralized and 

market-driven

• Led by private sector 

• Public-private partnership

• Differs from centralized standards 

systems in other countries

• Reflects U.S. culture and publicprivate sector dynamics

• Relies on cooperation, 

communication and parity among 

diverse stakeholder

• ANSI is the private sector 

coordinator of many U.S. 

domiciled standards organizations 

and the U.S. ISO and IEC member

In the EU• European Commission mandates 

the development of regional EN

standards (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) to 

support regulatory objectives

• Agreements between EU regional 

standards organizations (ESOs) 

and ISO and IEC result in ISO and 

IEC standards routinely used as 

the basis of EU regional standards

• EU members are primarily the 

voting members of the ESOs

• EU member states’ regulatory 

system gives presumption of 

conformity to products that 

conform to EN Standards

• EU member states are individual 

members of ISO, IEC, and ITU

In the PRC• Central government organized by the 

Standards Administration of China 

(SAC)

• Developing a tiered standards system

• National Standards (SAC)

• Sector Standards (SAC Coordinated)

• Local Standards (SAC Coordinated)

China 2035 Initiative

• Launched in March 2018

• Developed by SAC 

• Research standardization strategies to 

inform PRC’s strategy

• Focused on PRC national standards 

for priority areas

• Increase PRC private sector standards 

development

• Increase PRC participation and 

leadership in international standards
OUR PATH FORWARD

The U.S. requires a strategic approach built around 

a sustained commitment to the private sector led 

international standards development processes:

• Enhanced investment in R&D – a critical 

component of successfully influencing 

international standards 

• Expanded collaborations between allied 

governments, industry, and academia to ensure 

their engagement and participation in technical 

standards

• Creative approaches to growing engagement 

and broadening participation in standards 

development
USG NATIONAL STANDARDS STRATEGY FOR CRITICAL AND 

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Objective 1: Investment

Objective 2: Participation

Objective 3: Workforce

Objective 4: Integrity and Inclusivity
CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AREAS

Communication and 

Networking 

Technologies

Enabling dramatic changes in how consumers, businesses, and 

governments interact, and which will form the basis of tomorrow’s 

critical communications networks

Semiconductors and 

Microelectronics, 

including Computing, 

Memory, and Storage 

technologies

Fundamental to our digital economy, and which power a panoply of 

innovations and capabilities

Artificial Intelligence and 

Machine Learning. Promise transformative technologies and scientific breakthroughs 

across industries but must be developed in a trustworthy and riskmanaged manner

Biotechnologies Will affect the health, agricultural, and industrial sectors of all nations, 

and which will need to be used safely and securely to support the 

health of our citizens, animals, and environment
CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AREAS

Digital identity 

infrastructure and 

distributed ledger 

technologies

Are increasingly affecting a range of key economic sectors

Renewable 

Energy 

Generation and 

Storage

Are critical to the generation, storage, distribution, and climatefriendly and efficient utilization of energy, and to the security of 

the technologies that support energy-producing plants

Quantum 

Information 

Technologies

Leverage quantum mechanics for the storage, transmission, 

manipulation, computing, or measurement of information, with 

major potential for national security and economic implications
SPECIFIC CET APPLICATIONS

Automated and 

connected 

infrastructure

Smart cities, Internet of Things, and other novel applications

Biobanking Involves the collection, storage, and use of biological samples from individuals

Automated and 

connected 

transportation

Autonomous vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, automated subway systems, smart 

cities, internet-of-things, and other possible applications

Electric vehicles (EVs) Standards to integrate EVs with the electrical grid

Critical minerals 

supply chains We will promote standards that support increased sustainable extraction of critical minerals 

necessary to manufacture renewable energy technologies, semiconductors, and EVs

Cybersecurity and 

Privacy

Cross-cutting issues that are critical to enabling the development and deployment of 

emerging technologies and data security
LINES OF EFFORT

Increase R&D funding for CET to ensure a strong foundation for future standards 

development

Support the development of standards that address risk, security and resilience

Federal support for U.S. R&D has not kept pace with global R&D investments. 

Standards are driven by technical contributions that flow from R&D; greater U.S. 

investment in pre-standardization research is needed to underwrite 

contributions to standards-setting discussions.
LINES OF EFFORT

Remove and prevent barriers to private sector participation in standards 

development

Improve communications between public and private sectors on standards

Enhance USG representation and influence in international standards 

governance and leadership

U.S. organizations confront difficult choices on where to focus resources in a more 

diversified standards landscape, at times resulting in little to no U.S. participation 

in potentially disruptive technological fields.
LINES OF EFFORT

Educate and empower the new standards workforce

The number of standards organizations and venues has increased significantly 

over the past decade, particularly with respect to CETs. Meanwhile the U.S. 

standards workforce has not kept pace with this growth.
LINES OF EFFORT

Deepen standards cooperation with allies and partners to support a robust 

standards governance process

Facilitate broad representation in standards development

In response to the increasing attempts of some nations to tilt the playing field to 

their parochial advantage, we must ensure the standards development process is 

technically sound, independent, and responsive to broadly-shared market and 

societal needs.
NIST’S LEADERSHIP OF CET STANDARDS

Implementation of the USG 

Standards Strategy for CET

Broadening participation in 

international standards 

development

Identifying best practices for 

standards coordination across 

the labs, interagency, industry 

and like-minded countries
NIST’S ROLE IN STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

Support communication and coordination information 

through standards.gov

Work through federal advisory committees and establish 

a NIST VCAT Subcommittee on how to broaden 

participation in standards development

Engage with the stakeholder community including 

standards development organizations, consortia and 

industry groups through listening sessions

Share case studies and lessons-learned on standards 

development best practices

NIST will provide a 

point of entry to 

implementation of 

the USG National 

Standards Strategy for 

Critical and Emerging 

Technology.
NIST’S STANDARDS COORDINATION OFFICE (SCO)

Interagency Assistance and 

Coordination

Trade and Regulatory Programs

Conformity Assessment

Education and Training

www.Standards.gov
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION (ITA)

ITA plays a lead role in addressing 

foreign standards practices that 

might impede the export of U.S 

products and seeks to level the 

playing field by working directly 

with trading partners to reduce, 

remove, or prevent standardsrelated barriers.

Increasing the capacity of our partners to participate in 

standardization activities and encourage adoption of, and 

conformance with, relevant international standards through 

technical training and programming, including through existing 

workstreams in various bilateral and multilateral fora, dialogues and 

partnerships such as APEC, ASEAN, etc.

Supports the development and implementation of international 

standards with an eye toward democratic values including by 

serving as co-lead of the Technology Standards Working Group 

under the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), identifying 

standards activities of mutual interest to the United States. and EU 

for cooperation.

Employs Digital, Standards, and Intellectual Property Attachés in key 

foreign markets to help U.S. companies increase exports by 

accessing the global marketplace, navigate foreign digital policy and 

regulatory issues, and defend and protect U.S. IP rights. 
BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY (BIS)

BIS will continue to work with 

USG partners and private sector 

to ensure that BIS policy and 

regulations do not hinder U.S. 

private sector participation and 

influence in international 

standards for CET.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published an interim final 

rule that authorized the release of certain low-level technology and 

software subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to 

the majority of entities on the Entity List (Supplement No. 4 to Part 

744 of the EAR) without a license when that release occurs in a 

standards-related activity with the intent that the resulting 

standard will be “published.” 

This action was promulgated to advance U.S. national security and 

technological leadership by allowing robust U.S. industry 

participation in international standards-related activities.
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), NIST, and the U.S. 

Department of Justice Antitrust Division withdrew a 2019 Policy 

Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to 

Voluntary F/RAND Commitments, strengthening the ability of U.S. 

companies to engage and influence international standards.

USPTO will continue its joint endeavor with the World Intellectual 

Property Office to facilitate the resolution of disputes related to 

standards-essential patents. Additionally, the USPTO and NIST 

jointly support listening sessions with technology clusters, 

academia, standards developing organizations, and think tanks.
NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION 

ADMINISTRATION (NTIA)

• Coordinates United States Government 

participation in the 3rd Generation Partnership 

Project (3GPP), the preeminent mobile 

broadband standards development consortium.

• Works closely with the Alliance for 

Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)

to ensure participation by international standards 

delegates at North American-hosted 3GPP 

meetings.

• Participates in proceedings of the International 

Telecommunications Union (ITU) to ensure 

approved contributions are technically sound, 

responsive to market needs, and fall within the 

remit of the ITU.

• Administers the Public Wireless Supply Chain 

Innovation Fund (PWSCIF), a $1.5 billion grant 

program that aims to catalyze the research, 

development, and adoption of open, 

interoperable and standards-based networks.
WWW.STANDARDS.GOV

www.Standards.gov

The Standards Information 

Center provides a gateway 

to navigating the dynamic 

U.S. and international 

standards landscape.

The USA Enquiry Point for 

the World Trade 

Organization (WTO).

We’re Listening.