White House roadmap looks to guide emerging tech standardization

The Biden administration released a new roadmap to guide the implementation of emerging technology systems within the federal government on Friday in an effort to synchronize standards development with private industry partners. 

The guidance is tailored to helping deploy the four key objectives introduced in the May 2023 National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology –– increasing investment; broadening participation; enhancing the workforce; and sustaining integrity and inclusivity –– and looks to offer concrete guidance for the government to work with the private sector in collaborating on standards development.

Based on a request for information and other stakeholder engagements, the roadmap lays out both short- and long-term efforts to implement the strategy’s provisions.

Short-term actions the government plans on taking to begin standardization processes focus internally. These include identifying opportunities for pre-standardization research and development; tracking existing education grants and programs for emerging technology standards; and evaluating current international agreements and mechanisms for standards cooperation.

On the long-term side, the roadmap sets nine steps for the federal government to take: enhance coordination across the federal government; enhance coordination with the private sector; enhance coordination with foreign governments; recognize and incentivize federal agency engagement; provide strong and sustained funding for critical and emerging technology R&D and pre-standardization coordination; engage academia as a critical partner; enhance educational efforts; develop and sustain communications; and remove barriers to participation. These efforts focus on consolidating standardization efforts between agencies and bringing private sector partners into play as well

The roadmap looks to standardize emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum information sciences, digital identity infrastructure, semiconductors, telecommunications, and more. 

The Biden administration has placed a heavy emphasis on the need for the U.S. to lead in setting standards for critical and emerging technologies, especially as they stand to intersect with and exacerbate national security concerns.

“Coupled with the dynamic nature of [critical and emerging technology] development, the potential for significant national and economic security implications — including those related to the socio-technical aspects of CET — warrants greater U.S. attention, resources, cooperation, coordination, and participation in national and international CET standardization,” the roadmap reads.

A fact sheet on the roadmap highlights actions already being undertaken across nearly a dozen different agencies, including the establishment of a Standardization Center of Excellence at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and partnerships between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and foreign agencies to collaborate on patenting standards.

The strategy affirmed that standardization efforts will be private-sector led, and noted that it is crucial for the government to develop a robust dialogue and working relationship with industry partners on how new technologies need to operate. 

“The private sector-led model for standardization has demonstrated its effectiveness and adaptability for over a century, proving to be a robust framework that responds well to the evolving markets and national priorities,” the roadmap reads. “The [U.S. government]’s unique roles in protecting and supporting national economic security, and other factors such as safety and interoperability, drive the need for comprehensive action including bolstering support for pre-commercial standards development for CET. Enhancing coordination of U.S. private sector and USG engagement in standards for CET will strengthen our economic and national security in the dynamic global landscape.”