AMTech Structure RFI

Feedback to-date on 

Management Models

Michael F. Molnar

Chief Manufacturing Officer

National Institute of Standards and Technology
AMTech RFI

• AMTech RFI includes 23 questions involving the design and 

structure of the proposed AMTech program

• RFI closes October 20 – to date 38 responses

• 27 respondents answered all 23 questions 

• 4 respondents answered less than 23 questions

• 7 respondents provided comments that were not explicitly directed to 

any question 

• Responses were provided by a variety of sources.

• 3 consortia

• 9 small businesses

• 3 large or medium size companies

• 6 nonprofit organizations

• 4 trade associations

• 9 institutes of higher education

• 4 individuals
VCAT Design Principles for AMTech

• VCAT: What management models are most effective for publicprivate partnerships – specifically AMTech – taking into consideration 

the following concerns:

– To facilitate development, diffusion, and adoption of knowledge and 

technology transfer

– To facilitate participation by small manufacturers

Related AMTech RFI Questions

• Question 14 - What management models are best suited for industryled consortia?

• Question 9 - What are best practices for facilitating the widest 

dissemination and adoption of knowledge and technology through 

consortia?

• Question 8 - What are ways to facilitate the involvement of small 

businesses in AMTech consortia?

• Question 20 - What are lessons learned from other successful and 

unsuccessful industry-led consortia?

3
RFI Feedback on Management

• What management models are best suited for 

industry-led consortia? Lead, Structure

• What are best practices for facilitating the widest 

dissemination and adoption of knowledge and 

technology through consortia?

• What are ways to facilitate the involvement of small 

businesses in AMTech consortia?

• What are lessons learned from other successful and 

unsuccessful industry-led consortia?
What management models are best suited

for industry-led Consortia - LEAD

5

Most Responses: Industry-led model

Many Responses: Alternatives...

• led by nonprofit

• led by public university or state agency that is bias free

• NSF engineering research centers and industry/University 

Cooperative research centers

• led by a Consortium administrative organization

• organized and facilitated by a nonprofit Application Center

Lone wolf

Leave to proposing organization - each consortium able to 

proposed their own management model, with a lead institution 

as primary contractor
What management models are best suited

for industry-led Consortia - STRUCTURE

6

Most Responses: Structured; teams, governing boards...

management committee advisory board model

board of industry executives with nonprofit organization

general manager/executive director, professional consortium 

manager

Alternative Responses: Simple, low complexity 

relatively simple management model with a single lead, e.g. 

led by paid staff manager with technical advisory board
RFI Feedback on Management

• What management models are best suited for 

industry-led consortia? Lead, Structure

• What are best practices for facilitating the widest 

dissemination and adoption of knowledge and 

technology through consortia?

• What are ways to facilitate the involvement of small 

businesses in AMTech consortia?

• What are lessons learned from other successful and 

unsuccessful industry-led consortia?
best practices for dissemination of 

knowledge and technology?

8

Awards should...

• focus on multiple products • focus on specific industries

• build on partnerships / other relationships within consortia

Operations should...

• Emphasize Communications

• quarterly/annual meetings to monitor progress and success

• involve IT tools (e.g. webinars), common website 

• Integration through cross industry participation

• Involvement from technology developers through end users

• Active membership expansion

Output should...

• Support IP development cost, free license to consortium members

• Publish white papers, conference reports, presentations, meetings

• Results presented/demonstrated, and made available at technology 

centers - MEP network should be utilized
RFI Feedback on Management

• What management models are best suited for 

industry-led consortia? Lead, Structure

• What are best practices for facilitating the widest 

dissemination and adoption of knowledge and 

technology through consortia?

• What are ways to facilitate the involvement of small 

businesses in AMTech consortia?

• What are lessons learned from other successful and 

unsuccessful industry-led consortia?
Facilitate Involvement

10

Most said...

• Consortiums should require participation by small business

• AMTech program should be centered around small businesses

• Award target percentage to small business

Incentives should...

• Incentives should be used to get small business to participate

• Reduce or eliminate the cost share requirements for small businesses 

• Target participation by organizations that would attract or make it 

easier for small businesses to apply, such as

• Venture Capitalists OEM participation is critical

• Suppliers or customers of small business Trade associations

• Each component of the “supply chain”

Outreach should...

• Formal outreach efforts by AMTech staff

• Outreach efforts - AMTech workshops, seminars, and webinars, small 

business oriented web portal, local chamber of commerce

• Use Technology roadmaps, identify areas best served by small businesses
RFI Feedback on Management

• What management models are best suited for 

industry-led consortia? Lead, Structure

• What are best practices for facilitating the widest 

dissemination and adoption of knowledge and 

technology through consortia?

• What are ways to facilitate the involvement of small 

businesses in AMTech consortia?

• What are lessons learned from other successful and 

unsuccessful industry-led consortia?
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

12

1) Selection Process

• Transparency of review process and program performance is critical

• Clearly defined selection criteria with established execution and 

termination to run semi-autonomously with minimum bureaucracy

2) Consortium Focus

• Industry-led, market focus

• Address common technical problems

• Clearly defined goals and metrics, 

• Established technical milestones with focus on consortium objectives

• Right Scope

• Avoid too broad a problem or issues to address

• Should have near term exit opportunities – avoid long term/unfocused

• Select a problem or challenge that most of the members encounter 

(challenge facing the industry)

• Right home

• Need central “neutral home”; research many places esp. at industry 

testbeds, but useful to have a place where members can meet and to 

serve as the focal point
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

13

2) Consortium Focus (continued)

• Solutions focus

• Develop standardized solutions and education for the wider audience and 

for knowledge dissemination

• Clear, common objectives

• Work plan developed by industrial membership, mutually agreed goals

• A start-up plan that quickly engages members and initiates successful 

projects

• Align goals throughout a value chain (materials suppliers, component 

manufacturers/suppliers, OEMs), and inclusive of small and large business 

and research organizations. 

3) Funding 

• Sufficient funding

• including federal funding and expected industry cost share - to attract 

significant industry interest and more than a passing commitment

• Encourage multiple funding sources
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

14

4) Cost Share Requirements

• Goldilocks rule

• Avoid high membership fees AND too low; participants are not 

sufficiently committed to advancing the consortium’s goals.

• a tiered membership fee is best based on company size and their 

influence in the consortium decision making processes

• Requiring upfront cost share may impede progress

• AMTech funding alone may be necessary to demonstrate feasibility 

of a technology, then other sources can help to mature and 

commercialize it

5) IP Issues

• A sound IP policy that can work for companies small -> large

• Unsuccessful consortia places competitors together to share and 

potentially contaminate IP.

• The disciplines to define program deliverables, participant roles and 

responsibilities, and IP management prior to project launch is a must.
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

15

6) Participants

• Avoid setting up a group of Founders who control the resources and 

direction of the projects.

• One government agency is lead

• Involve a wide range of stakeholders – the entire supply chain

• Important to have for-profit involvement, focus, and oversight of 

academic research

• Having committed industrial partners and ensuring a total supply chain 

approach is executed will enable higher success rates in the 

deployment of developed capabilities

7) Management

• Experienced management, lead organization is a neutral party

• Consortia usually fail from poor management or insufficient resources

• Management ensures all participants of membership have equitable 

representation in governance

• Plan, but be agile and adatable to change
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

16

8) Operations

• Build and maintain trust among partners

• Show value for both the government and industry

• respecting the needs of both

• providing a strategic plan with mission, vision, goals

• invoking a consensus based roadmap

• allocating resources for administering the consortium

• Use professional consortium management resources

• Maintain proper attention to the commercialization phase

• Start as a joint government-private industry initiative, private companies 

should take over as consortia matures

• Communicate & Educate

• Write books, articles, handbooks, and papers for industry adoption

• Show value and success regularly in the life of the consortium.

• Interview / visit suppliers and customers to understand the 

channel, customer needs and realities of doing business in that 

channel.
Lessons Learned – “Nifty Nine”

17

9) Examples

• SEMATECH and the Semiconductor Research Corporation are examples 

of successful industry-led consortia.

• strong leadership by key large industry members

• active engagement and membership of companies within their 

supply chain

• dedicated leadership and management personnel

• and a focus on removing existing roadblocks to progress with 

advanced manufacturing technologies

• UIDP open innovation model encourages idea development and 

dissemination.

• NCMS model

• DARPA SBIR STTR model
 

Thank you 

 

Mike Molnar

Telephone: 301-975-2300

Email: mike.molnar@nist.gov

Any Questions?