We must become better collaborators. And we must encourage partnerships wherever possible. This of course brings me back to the IMS Program. The IMS Program helps move these kinds of collaborative partnerships. And at Commerce, we see it as fitting beautifully with the President's technology strategy.
Manufacturing is a key industrial sector and truly a cornerstone for economic growth.
IMS can be a catalytic agent for global cooperation in manufacturing. It can provide a framework for the protection of intellectual property rights, assessing development priorities, and communicating information worldwide The program will provide North American industry access to the most sophisticated technical and scientific minds in the world. That program continues to this day. IMS is a fresh and innovative approach to every nation's need to look beyond its borders, and every company's need to look beyond its own factories' walls. Although the program's goals are lofty, we should not fear reaching for them.