National Institute of Standards and Technology, Bldg. 101, Rm. A430, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001

A -- WORKSHOP SOL Q- POC Customer Representative 1-800-287-3863 Advanced Technology Program: The Virtual Enterprise Focused Program Development Workshop March 6, 1995, Stouffer Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, GA. About the NIST Advanced Technology Program: The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is a competitive program that provides cost-shared awards to industry to develop high-risk, enabling technologies with broad-based economic benefit. It seeks to fill the gap between basic research and product development, and to invest in technology that wouldn't be developed in a competitive time-frame without government cost-sharing. Along with general competitions which are open to proposals from all technical areas, the ATP is also funding a series of ''focused programs'' with targeted business and technical goals. Workshop Objective: The goal of this workshop is to provide a forum for industry to craft a focused program addressing the key technical challenges and commercial opportunities of the ''virtual enterprise''. A virtual enterprise-a group of autonomous, dispersed organizations which temporarily collaborate to achieve a common business objective-can provide its participants with a competitive advantage in markets demanding agility and rapid response. Although the National Information Infrastructure (NII) is expected to provide much of the data transport capabilities needed to support complex virtual enterprises, there remain unresolved issues concerning technology and scalability. A focused program in this area could address ''plug and play'' system technology, distributed cooperation, multi-cultural human/system interfaces, demonstrations of scale, or other technologies depending on industry's priorities. The program could apply to industries as diverse as manufacturing, finance, film, and transportation. Criteria for a Focused Program: Discussions will be structured around the following criteria, which are used to select ATP programs: Potential U.S. economic benefit, including: the credibility of the program's proposed pathways to economic growth, the importance of existing or potential sectors affected, and the probability of subsequent commercialization. Good technical ideas that are: high risk, strategically important to overcoming key difficulties in reducing cost, acknowledged as needed by the users, and based upon sound scientific, technical and financial considerations. Strong industry commitment to participate, including breadth and depth of interest, and willingness to share costs and work with the government and other partners. Use of ATP funds will make a significant difference by enabling industry to pursue promising technologies in a partnership with the government. Preliminary Agenda: Brief introduction to the ATP, including technical and business criteria for program definition and eventual project selection; Invited industry presentations on recommended direction for a focused program; Break-out sessions and summary. You are invited to submit a white paper with your program recommendations and to be a speaker at this workshop. Draft white papers must be received by February 21, 1995, to be considered for presenting at the workshop. Registration: The registration fee is $175. Attendance is limited, and pre-registration must be received by February 24, 1995. Registration includes workshop materials, breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch. For additional registration information, please contact the Agility Forum at (800) 9BE-AGILE. Fourth Annual Agility Forum Conference: This ATP workshop is scheduled in conjunction with the Fourth Annual Agility Forum Conference on March 7-9, at the Stouffer Waverly Hotel. For registration information, please contact the Agility Forum at 1-800-9BE-AGILE. Accommodations: If you are attending both the NIST-ATP workshop and the Agility Forum Conference, you are eligible for the conference rate of $115 single, or $135 double, at the Stouffer Waverly Hotel, 2450 Galleria Parkway, (404) 953-4500 or (800) 468-3571. Additional accommodations are available at the Embassy Suites, (404) 984-9300, located across the street from the Waverly. Additional Details: For general ATP information or to add your name to the ATP mailing list, contact the ATP office at 1-800-ATP-FUND or (800) 287-3863; e-mail: atp@micf.nist.gov; or fax: (301) 926-9524; world wide web: http//www.nist.gov/welcome.html; gopher via Internet: gopher.nist.gov, log in as ''gopher'', look under Advanced Technology Program; from a gopher client: gopher-server.nist.gov. For additional technical information on the proposed Virtual Enterprise focused program, contact Barbara Goldstein at (301) 975-2304; fax: (301) 926-9524; e-mail: goldstein@eeel.nist.gov. Driving Instructions: From Hartsfield International Airport: Follow Camp Creek Parkway to I-285 north. Take Exit 13, Cobb Parkway. Turn right onto Cobb Parkway. At the second traffic light, turn left onto Galleria Parkway. The hotel will be on the left. (0045)

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