ASME Policy Impact 2022 Highlights Emerging Technology and Workforce Challenges

ASME members from around the world gathered online from May 17-19 for Policy Impact 2022, the second annual virtual public policy conference from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The program included remarks and discussion panels on key science and engineering issues of the day, as well as the opportunity for ASME members to virtually meet their congressional delegation based on their constituency in the United States. The program included addresses from leaders in Congress and the Administration with their perspective on emerging technology issues and priorities for  advancing U.S. leadership in science and engineering.
 
Policy Impact 2022 program highlights included a keynote address from the recently confirmed Director of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Undersecretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, Dr. Laurie Locascio, who outlined her four guiding priorities for NIST, including investing in critical and emerging technologies and new efforts to bolster global supply chain security and resiliency. Technology policy updates continued with a deep-dive on U.S. clean energy deployment and decarbonization research priorities, with three senior officials from the Department of Energy outlining key initiatives and technology goals for the mechanical engineering community. Panelists included Dr. Katherine Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, who highlighted the Biden administration’s strategy for clean energy through deploying advanced nuclear power technologies; Dr. Brian Anderson, Director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, who articulated the multiple efforts underway to advance technology pathways for a carbon-free future; and Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, who discussed the DOE’s ambitious goals for expanding the clean hydrogen economy.

The program also included brief interviews with ASME Executive Director Tom Costabile and bipartisan perspectives on U.S. science and engineering policy from Representatives Sean Casten (D-Illinois) and Young Kim (R-California), both members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, as well as discussion panels on new pathways to sustain the engineering workforce, supply chain innovation, and an International Space Station National Lab “AS-ME Anything” chat.

Video content from Policy Impact 2022 will be available soon; keep an eye on the ASME Government Relations YouTube playlist.

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