USG N ATIO N AL STAN DARDS STRATEGY 

FO R CRITICAL AN D EMERGIN G 

TECHN O LO GY (USG N SSCET)
STAN DARDS LEADERSH IP

2

NIST leads execution of the U.S. 

government’s National Standards 

Strategy for Critical and Emerging 

Technology and the development 

of federal standards policy to 

ensure continued U.S. global 

economy competitiveness and 

technology leadership
DYN AM IC GLO BAL LAN DSCAP E O F STAN DARDS 

DEVELO P M EN T

The future of U.S. innovation, 

com petition, and national 

security is at risk

The U.S. m ust uphold the 

integrity of international 

standards in coordination with 

likem inded partners and allies

A clear vision is needed to 

sustain engagem ent in global 

standards-setting 
STAN DARDIZATIO N “SYSTEM S“ CO M PARISO N In the U.S.• Voluntary, decentralized and 

m arket-driven

• Led by private sector 

• Public-private partnership

• Differs from centralized standards 

system s in other countries

• Reflects U.S. culture and publicprivate sector dynam ics

• Relies on cooperation, 

com m unication and parity am ong 

diverse stakeholders

• ANSI is the private sector 

coordinator of m any U.S. 

dom iciled standards organizations 

and the U.S. ISO and IEC m em ber

In the EU• European Com m ission m andates 

the developm ent of regional EN

standards (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) to 

support regulatory objectives

• Agreem ents 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 m em bers are prim arily the 

voting m em bers of the ESOs

• EU m em ber states’ regulatory 

system gives presum ption of 

conform ity to products that 

conform to EN Standards

• EU m em ber states are individual 

m em bers of ISO, IEC, and ITU

In the PRC• Central governm ent organized by the 

Standards Adm inistration of China 

(SAC)

• Developing a tiered standards system

• National Standards (SAC)

• Sector Standards (SAC Coordinated)

• Local Standards (SAC Coordinated)

Ch in a 2035 In it ia t ive

• 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 

developm ent

• Increase PRC participation and 

leadership in international standards
O UR PATH FO RWARD

The U.S. requires a st ra t egic approach built around 

a sustained com m itm ent to the private sector-led 

international standards developm ent processes:

• En h a n ce d in vest m en t in R&D – a critical 

com ponent of successfully influencing 

international standards 

• Exp a n d e d colla bora t ion s between allied 

governm ents, industry, and academ ia to ensure 

their engagem ent and participation in technical 

standards

• Creative approaches to growin g engagem ent 

a n d broa den in g pa rt icipa t ion in standards 

developm ent
CRITICAL AN D EMERGIN G TECHN O LO GIES IDEN TIFIED IN 

THE USG N SSCET

QUANTUM INFORMATION 

TECHNOLOGIES

DIGITAL ID 

INFRASTRUCTURE & DISTRIBUTED 

LEDGER TECHNOLOGIES

SEMICONDUCTORS 

BIOTECHNOLOGIES & MICROELECTRONICS

COMMUNICATION & NETWORKING 

TECNOLOGIES

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & 

MACHINE LEARNING

RENEWABLE ENERGY 

GENERATION & STORAGE
SP ECIFIC CET AP P LICATIO N S

Automated & Connected Infrastructure

Sm art cities, Internet of Things, and 

other novel applications

Automated & Connected Transportation

Autonom ous vehicles, unm anned 

aircraft system s, autom ated subway 

system s, sm art cities, internet-of-things, 

and other possible applications

Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Cross-cutting issues that are critical to 

enabling the developm ent and 

deploym ent of em erging technologies 

and data security

Biobanking

Involves the collection, storage, and 

use of biological sam ples from 

individuals

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Standards to integrate EVs with the 

electrical grid

Cybersecurity & Privacy

Cross-cutting issues that are critical to 

enabling the developm ent and 

deploym ent of em erging technologies 

and data security
USG N SSCET O BJECTIVES

Obje ct ive 2: Pa rt icipa t ion

Ob je ct ive 3: Workforce

Ob je ct ive 4: In t e grit y & In clu sivit y

Ob je ct ive 1: In ve st m e n t
USG N SSCET LIN ES OF EFFORT

Gre a t e r In ve st m e n t in Pre -

St a n d a rd iza t ion Re se a rch

Pa rt icip a t ion in St a n d a rd s 

Deve lopm e n t

Workforce De ve lop m e n t En su rin g In t e grit y in St a n d a rd s 

Deve lopm e n t

 Increase R&D funding for CETs

 Support developm ent of standards 

that address risk, security, and 

resilience

 Rem ove and prevent barriers to 

private sector participation

 Im prove com m unication between 

public and private sector

 Enhance USG representation and 

influence in international standards 

governance and leadership

 Educate and em power the new 

standards workforce

 Deepen standards cooperation with 

partners and allies

 Facilitate broad representation in 

standards developm ent
TECH N O LO GY AN D STAN DARDS LEADERSH IP AT N IST

Art ificia l In t e llige n ce (AI) Biosyst e m s a n d Biom a t e ria ls

Ad va n ce d Wire le ss Com m u n ica t ion s Qu a n t u m In form a t ion Te ch n ology 

NIST collaborated with experts from 

m ore than 240 organizations through a 

consensus-driven, open, transparent, 

and collaborative process on the 

developm ent of an AI Risk Managem ent 

Fram ework (AI RMF), released Jan. 2023

NIST led the developm ent of a 

fram ework for the developm ent of the 

first m eaningful m ethods to com pare 

cell quantity m easurem ents. NIST chairs 

and adm inisters the U.S. Mirror 

Com m ittee to ISO/TC 276: 

Biotechnology

NIST launched the NextG Channel 

Model Alliance in 2015. This consortium 

of m ore than 200 global m em bers 

works to advance breakthrough 

m easurem ent approaches to support 

the com m ercialization of nextgeneration wireless networks, including 

5G and beyond

NIST helps to advance quantum 

inform ation technology through joint 

institutes, JILA, the Joint Quantum 

Institute (JQI), the Joint Center for 

Quantum Inform ation and Com puter 

Science (QuICS), and through the 

Quantum Econom ic Developm ent 

Consortium (QED-C)
N IST’S LEADERSH IP O F CET STAN DARDS

Im plem entation of the USG 

Standards Strategy for CET

Broadening participation in 

international standards 

developm ent

Identifying best practices for 

standards coordination across 

the labs, interagency, industry 

and like -m inded countries
DEVELO P IN G A USG N SSCET IM P LEM EN TATIO N P LAN

Supporting com m unication and coordination 

inform ation, including an upcom ing RFI, on

standards.gov

Working through federal advisory com m ittees and 

establishing a NIST VCAT Subcom m ittee on how to 

broaden participation in standards developm ent

Planning a series of national listening sessions and 

stakeholder engagem ents

Sharing case studies and lessons-learned on 

standards developm ent best practices

NIST will provide a 

point of entry to 

im plem entation of 

the USG National 

Standards Strategy for 

Critical and Em erging 

Technology
N IST’S STAN DARDS CO O RDIN ATIO N O FFICE (SCO )

In t e ra ge n cy Assist a n ce a n d 

Coord in a t ion

Tra d e a n d Re gu la t ory Progra m s

Con form it y Asse ssm e n t

Ed u ca t ion a n d Tra in in g

www.Standards.gov
A CO MMERCE-WIDE EFFORT

ITA plays a leading role in addressing foreign standards practices that m ight 

im pede the export of U.S products and seeks to level the playing field by working 

directly with trading partners to reduce, rem ove, or prevent standards-related 

barriers.

BIS works 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.

USPTO leads an 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, 

academ ia, standards developing organizations, and think tanks.

NTIA coordinates USG participation in 3GPP, works closely with the Alliance for 

Telecom m unications Industry Solutions (ATIS), participates in proceedings of the 

International Telecom m unications Union (ITU), and adm inisters the $1.5 billion 

Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF).
WWW.STAN DARDS.GO V

www.Standards.gov

Th e St a n d a rd s In form a t ion 

Ce n t e r p rovid e s a ga t e w a y 

t o n a viga t in g t h e dyn a m ic 

U.S. a n d in t e rn a t ion a l 

st a n da rds la n dsca pe

Th e USA En q u iry Poin t for 

t h e World Tra d e 

Orga n iza t ion (WTO)

We’re Listening.
DISCUSSION QUESTION S

Th e n e w USG NSSCET w a s re le a se d in Ma y.

• Have you received any feedback since the release? 

• If so, what have you heard?

Broa d e n in g p a rt icip a t ion of a ca d e m ic a n d p riva t e -sect or st a keh olders in 

in t ern a t ion a l st a n da rds developm en t is crit ica l t o t h e st ra t egy.

• Do you anticipate barriers to participation for these stakeholders?

• How can NIST, along with other U.S. governm ent agencies and departm ents, help 

address these barriers? 

NIST is a kn ow n le a d e r in m e a su re m e n t scie n ce re se a rch . Som e NIST st a ff 

levera ge t h a t st ren gt h in t h e in t ern a t ion a l com m u n it y by pa rt icipa t in g in 

St a n d a rd s De ve lop in g Orga n iza t ion s (SDOs). 

• Other than SDO activities, what additional activities should NIST consider 

to strengthen U.S. leadership in international standards activities for CETs?