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Celebrating the Culture and Contributions of Hispanic Americans

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The following is a cross-post from the U.S. Census Bureau

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the culture and contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. The observance was born in 1968 when Congress authorized the president to issue an annual proclamation designating National Hispanic Heritage Week. Two decades later, lawmakers expanded it to a monthlong celebration, stretching from September 15 to October 15.

Hispanic Heritage Month — like its shorter precursor — always starts on September 15, a historically significant day marking the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The designated period is also a nod to those from Mexico and Chile, which celebrate their independence September 16 and September 18, respectively.

The following facts are available thanks to the public’s invaluable participation in U.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the information shared by each respondent as we continuously count and measure America’s people, places and economy.

Did You Know?

18.7%

The Hispanic share of the U.S. population as of April 1, 2020, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s second largest racial or ethnic group. The Hispanic population grew 2.4 percentage points over the decade from 16.3% in 2010.

2

The number of states where the Hispanic population made up the largest racial or ethnic group as of April 1, 2020: New Mexico where the Hispanic population accounted for 47.7%, up from 46.3% in 2010. And California, where the Hispanic population was 39.4%, up from 37.6% of the state’s population a decade earlier.

72

The number of Texas counties where the Hispanic population was the largest racial or ethnic group as of April 1, 2020, up from 64 counties in 2010.

25.7%

The share of children (under the age of 18) who were of Hispanic origin as of April 1, 2020, up from 23.1% in 2010.

38.8%

The percentage of the total voting age Hispanic population that voted in the November 2020 election.

To read more on stats on the Hispanic population from previous years, see the latest issue of the U.S. Census Bureau's Facts for Features.

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Commerce Department Logo for Hispanic Heritage Month

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Commerce Department Logo for Hispanic Heritage Month

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U.S. Department of Commerce Will Resume the Collection of Duties on Mexican Sugar if Negotiations Fail

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Commerce Secretary Raimondo Stresses America’s Road to Recovery Runs Through Nation’s Minority Business Community at Annual MED Week Conference

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On Monday, September 20, 2021, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo opened the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) annual National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference. In her remarks, she stressed that minority business enterprises (MBE’s) are the engine of the American economy and that America’s Road to recovery runs through the Nation’s minority business community.

This year, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation declaring September 19-25, 2021 as “National Minority Enterprise Development Week.” The National MED Week conference theme: “Reimagining Opportunity: Building Back Better Together!” echoed the President’s vision of economic equality for all Americans and the expanded access to business capital, public contracting, strategic private commercial partnerships, and new market penetration by minority businesses which are inherently necessary to achieve the Administration’s objective.

In her recorded welcoming remarks, Secretary Raimondo noted that MED Week is the Commerce Department’s most important event in support of minority businesses and entrepreneurs. Secretary Raimondo also congratulated the National MED Week award winners and thanked America’s minority business enterprises for their tremendous contributions to the American economy. To date, there are more than 9 million minority-owned firms that employ 8 million workers and contribute $1.7 trillion to the economy.

“President Biden has made clear that our Administration is committed to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably. That means doing everything we can to help you and your businesses succeed – because we recognize that America’s Road to recovery runs through our minority business community.”

Also, on Monday, Deputy Secretary Don Graves moderated a panel discussion with Ambassador Susan Rice on, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for the Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” During this session, panelists participated in a dialogue about how the Administration is addressing the convergence of the economic, health, and climate crisis that have exposed and exacerbated inequities for MBEs and underserved communities.

Deputy Secretary Don Graves and Ambassador Susan Rice at panel discussion.

This year’s conference celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of minority-owned companies, provided networking opportunities, and featured an awards ceremony where individuals and organizations were honored for exceptional commitments and contributions to minority business growth. The MED Week Awards are the highest national recognition a minority-owned firm can receive from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

For more information on this year’s Minority Business Enterprise Development (MED) Week and to view the Secretary recorded remarks and the Deputy Secretary’s panel discussion with Ambassador Susan Rice, please click here.

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Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Addresses the 2021 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference

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Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Addresses the 2021 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference

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Residential Propane Price Analysis 2006 

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The Last Drone Standing: First Responder UAS Endurance Challenge

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Picture this: A person is lost in the desert. Local first responders initiate a search and rescue operation. As they conduct the search, they’re faced with a problem: loss of broadband signal.

This isn’t a made-up scenario. First responders often work in conditions where communication networks are weak or not available. One possible solution is to use drones to deploy broadband networks, making signals available anywhere. But today’s drones often can’t provide adequate support to first responders. The equipment is too heavy for drones to carry for very long.

To help solve the largest challenges facing the first responder community, NIST often turns to private companies, academic researchers, hobbyists, and others via open innovation prize challenges. This time, the First Responder Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Endurance Challenge addressed the obstacle of extending the flight time for drones that carry heavy payloads. The objective for challenge participants was to design, build and fly a UAS that could carry a 10-pound (4.5-kilogram) communications device to deploy broadband coverage for as long as possible to transfer critical data files to the first responders. And as part of the challenge, participants were tasked with overcoming difficult technical requirements including weight restrictions, vertical takeoff and landing, an ignition kill system, and an appropriate fuel system, all while ensuring cost-effectiveness.

Forty-three teams entered the competition, of which five final competitors spent a total of 14 months designing and building lightweight drones that go beyond today’s technical capabilities by flying continuously for 90 minutes or longer with heavy payloads. The prize challenge competitors built their systems with the intention of providing broadband service to boots-on-the-ground first responders when they lack network or bandwidth. This includes servicing areas with a lack of cellular network coverage or where cellular infrastructure has been compromised due to a natural disaster, or areas with limited backhaul connectivity, which links the main network to remote locations.

Investing in Ingenuity: The Winning Competitors

The competition’s top prize went to Team Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), which received $100K for its six-rotor drone with propellers on each arm. AAC is a veteran-owned company based in Hampton, Virginia, that specializes in building American-made drones that enable longer flights through their hybrid-electric propulsion system. The company builds UAS devices that are quick to set up and easy to use for its customers, including members of the public safety community. Unlike some other prize challenge competitors, AAC’s drone is not a prototype but a product it currently is selling.

The other top teams in the competition included Team Intelligent Energy (IE), which received second place and $40K for its six-rotor drone with a hydrogen fuel system, long-endurance, and lifting capabilities. Team Autonomous Robotics Competition Club (ARCC), from Pennsylvania State University, took third place and received $20K for its multirotor, gas-electric hybrid drone. Team Endure Air also contributed to the UAS competition with its single-rotor helicopter drone.

In addition to the overall prizes, NIST awarded eight Best in Class awards, worth $5K each:

Endurance: Team AAC had a flight time of 112 minutes and 17 seconds in the “Last Drone Standing” technical flight.

Innovation: Team AAC received this award for addressing all stage four criteria, taking into account all drone specifications while maintaining a high regard for the public safety mission.

Weight: Endure Air’s UAS was 29.93 pounds (13.58 kilograms), the lightest of the competition.

Autonomy: Team ARCC received this award for the success of its preprogrammed flight paths, obstacle avoidance and automatic orbits.

Ease of Use: Endure Air took only four minutes and 30 seconds to put its UAS into an operational state, from packaging to flight-ready.

Cost-Effectiveness: Endure Air’s UAS costs less than $5,000 to build.

First Responder Award: AAC and ARCC were both awarded for their successes in public-safety-focused areas such as responsiveness, special features, and unique design elements.

The solutions developed by the four winners will increase UAS duration, payload, transmission rate and total transmission distances. With these new capabilities, the public safety community and first responders will have access to the tools they need to help save lives in search and rescue situations. “It’s very challenging to build a drone to the required first responder specifications,” said Dereck Orr, chief of NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research division. “Given the circumstances and restrictions, 112 minutes of flight time is extremely impressive.”

NIST regularly uses prize challenges to solve public safety problems. These competitions result in lasting partnerships with companies and academia to leverage for future innovations. And these partnerships help NIST advance critical research and development efforts that create conditions for economic growth and opportunity in the public safety domain.

More information about the UAS Endurance Challenge winners and their drones can be found on the NIST website.

Three New Drone Competitions

The latest UAS prize challenge, the First Responder UAS Triple Challenge, is open now and accepting submissions through Sept. 30. This challenge, also known as UAS 3.0, comprises three separate competitions:

Challenge 1 — FastFind: UAS Search Optimized

Challenge 2 — LifeLink: Providing Mobile UAS Data Wherever Lives Are on the Line

Challenge 3 — Shields Up! Securing Public Safety UAS Navigation & Control

UAS 3.0 will help first responders’ search and rescue missions by improving search capabilities in areas with dense foliage, increasing broadband connectivity to get critical data to first responders, and protecting systems from potential cyberattacks. To learn more about the competition and to enter, visit the UAS 3.0 website.

UAS 4.0 will also be launching soon, but we need your feedback! Are you a first responder or innovator? What UAS technology do you think needs improvement? What public safety problem needs solving? Let us know by writing to us at pscr@nist.gov.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Team Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), which received $100K for its six-rotor drone with propellers on each arm

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Team Advanced Aircraft Company (AAC), which received $100K for its six-rotor drone with propellers on each arm

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Deputy Secretary Graves Underscores Importance of Public, Private Sectors in Combating Climate Change During Trip to Poland

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Between September 20-24, Deputy Secretary Don Graves joined Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for the re-launch of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Ministerial and Business Forum, an international platform that provides policymakers and civil society stakeholders across 22 European countries with resources and tools to build secure, resilient, climate-conscious energy systems. Secretary Graves provided opening remarks for the forum and participated in panel discussions on financing, the low carbon transition, and smart cities and energy technology. The P-TECC took place in Warsaw, Poland.

Throughout his participation in P-TECC, Deputy Secretary Graves underscored the important role that both the public and private sectors play in combating climate change. He used the trip as an opportunity to engage with Polish and European government leaders and highlight U.S. commercial opportunities in the energy sector that support domestic clean energy jobs. He also held several meetings to hear from U.S. and European business leaders about overcoming challenges and identifying new opportunities for advancing clean energy and climate goals in the region. Throughout the trip, he emphasized the critical role businesses will play in delivering a clean energy future, and how governments for their part must ensure the rule of law, fair and open markets, and strong attention to cybersecurity.

“On both sides of the Atlantic, and indeed around the world, the private sector plays an important role in driving the clean energy and sustainable development solutions we need to combat climate change. The Commerce Department is proud to support Central and Eastern Europe’s clean energy transition, and to promote the tools and services that the U.S. business sector offers and the many jobs it supports.” Deputy Secretary Graves said. “It was a great honor to join Secretary Granholm this week in Warsaw at the P-TECC Forum and express support for our collective climate goals.”

To see the readout of Deputy Secretary Graves meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mining and Energy of Serbia, Dr. Zorana Mihajlović, please click here. To see the readout of Deputy Secretary Graves meeting with Secretary of State and Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure of Poland Piotr Naimski, please click here. To see Deputy Secretary Graves closing remarks, please click here. To see the full meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Ministerial and Business Forum, please click here.

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Deputy Secretary Graves addresses the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Ministerial and Business Forum in Warsaw, Poland

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Deputy Secretary Graves addresses the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC) Ministerial and Business Forum in Warsaw, Poland

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Women-Owned Businesses in the 21st Century

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Manufacturing Day 2021: Celebrating Resilient U.S. Manufacturers Like Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana

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Manufacturing Day 2021 (MFG Day), Oct. 1, 2021, is an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of U.S. manufacturing. Due to the pandemic, America’s manufacturers faced closures, difficulty finding workers, and trouble sourcing materials. Yet many manufacturing firms completely changed course, keeping doors opened, people employed, and producing the things we need. This can-do spirit of problem-solving and innovation is on display during MFG Day and throughout October. MFG Day offers the next generation of workers the chance to see firsthand what it would be like to work for innovative companies that can pivot and make the best of the worst situations. Manufacturers will open their doors and share their unique pandemic stories for MFG Day. Take a look at this small, but mighty, manufacturer that embodies what it means to step up to the pandemic’s challenges and use manufacturing to help their community in trying times.

A generous spirit: a distillery that focuses on community and employee needs

John and Courtney McKee founded Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana, in 2010. Inspired by Butte’s history, they produce microdistilled spirits that celebrate the local mining industry, including Neversweat Whiskey, High Ore Vodka, Anselmo Gin, and Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liqueur, which are distributed across the state and sold online. Since then, the business has expanded to include a packaging facility, which provides packaging services for other brands in the distillery industry, and a manufacturing facility that produces custom, continuous-flow distillation equipment. Headframe Spirits employs 27 people and has a strong community focus — it recently qualified as a Certified B Corporation®, which recognizes companies that meet high standards of social commitment, environmental performance, and corporate responsibility.

Pivoting from liquor to hand sanitizer

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many food and beverage companies closed their restaurants, bars, and tasting rooms. When Headframe Spirits closed its tasting room, business sales went down significantly and employee jobs were at risk.

Like many other small distilleries, Headframe quickly pivoted to manufacturing much-needed hand sanitizer. The company had the expertise and capacity to make the sanitizer product and quickly modified the distilling process, ordered ingredients and trained personnel on the manufacturing process. The challenge came in securing packaging materials. Personal size sanitizer containers and caps were in very short supply.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership and CARES Act make a difference

That’s when the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) sprang into action. MMEC is one of 51 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico funded by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and part of the MEP National Network™. With emergency funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, MEP centers like MMEC helped manufacturers across the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Headframe Spirits is among the firms that MMEC worked with.

According to Headframe Spirits CEO Courtney McKee, “MMEC was proactive about reaching out to us, looking to support us with their existing knowledge, relationships and even just time we didn’t have.”

With the help of CARES Act funding, MMEC provided a number of support services to manufacturers during the early stages of the pandemic. This included sourcing hard-to-find materials for Headframe and other Montana distilleries making hand sanitizer.

While reaching out to national contacts, MMEC Senior Business Advisor Alistair Stewart received a generous offer. Berry Global, a Fortune 500 global manufacturer of plastic packaging products headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, donated more than 15,000 bottles and 15,000 caps to Montana’s distilleries. Altogether, MMEC acquired more than 142,000 bottles and caps for distilleries around Montana at no charge. Headframe Spirits received 20,000 units to support its operations.

Challenges bring opportunities

Headframe Spirits manufactured 7,000 gallons of hand sanitizer from March to December 2020, donating its product to more than 20 organizations. Selling hand sanitizer at the local tasting room brought in a new base of customers who also purchased bottles of liquor products — helping Headframe Spirits earn back a portion of sales lost while its tasting room was closed. In addition, the company hired two temporary manufacturing employees.

MMEC made all the difference for Headframe Spirits during the pandemic. Courtney McKee said, “They cared about our success and the success of our peers, and we could not have accomplished what we did without their support.”

Celebrate MFG Day 2021!

Join MEP and manufacturers across the country to celebrate MFG Day 2021! MFG Day 2021 features events that promote manufacturing on Oct. 1 and throughout the month of October. MFG Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors (some virtually and some in person) to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. Click here to find a MFG Day event near you and celebrate the resilience of modern U.S. manufacturing!

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Employees at Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana.

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Employees at Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana.

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc Recognize Over $8 Billion in New U.S.-Vietnamese Business Deals; Discuss Bilateral Trade

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Manufacturing Continues to be Among Top Five Largest Employment Sectors

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It’s no secret the manufacturing sector has a major impact on the U.S. economy, and every year Manufacturing Week offers an opportunity to recognize this sector’s significant impact on the nation. Manufacturing Week is designed to coincide with Manufacturing Day, which has been held the first Friday in October since 2011.

U.S. Census Bureau’s 10th-anniversary celebration of Manufacturing Week.

Manufacturing Week expands upon the traditional Manufacturing Day launched by the Manufacturing Institute in 2011. The Census Bureau is celebrating the 10th anniversary by providing a worth of rich content & statistics that inform businesses and policymakers.

View the Manufacturing Week page for manufacturing visualizations.

2021 Manufacturing Day: A Snapshot of Monthly Manufacturing Statistics in the United States

2021 Manufacturing Day: Quarterly Manufacturing Statistics in the United States

Manufacturing Data from the Annual Survey of Manufactures

Housing-Related Manufacturing in America 2018 and 2019

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Census Bureau Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Manufacturing Day

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Census Bureau Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Manufacturing Day

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc Recognize Over $8 Billion in New U.S.-Vietnamese Business Deals; Discuss Bilateral Trade

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Manufacturing Month 2021: Celebrating Resilient U.S. Manufacturers Like Custom Contract Furnishings in High Point, North Carolina

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Many U.S. manufacturers responded to the pandemic’s challenges. Manufacturing Day 2021 events across the country, which are happening throughout the month of October, are celebrating America’s manufacturing resilience during this difficult time. Events like in-person or virtual tours are helping community members see these modern, high-tech manufacturing facilities that have survived, and in some cases thrived, and learn about the many opportunities for well-paying jobs.

Each manufacturer has a unique pandemic story — many pivoted from their normal operations to meet the nation’s needs for masks, medical devices and other items to fight the pandemic. Here’s one small manufacturer’s pandemic story.

A high point for the nation’s furniture-making industry
High Point, North Carolina, has been a center of U.S. furniture manufacturing for more than a hundred years. Custom Contract Furnishings (CCF) is one of the many furniture manufacturers located near High Point. Established in 1989, CCF makes high-quality upholstered seating for the hospitality, health care and senior living industries. Feature stories on CCF have run in national magazines including Network of Executive Women in Hospitality, Hospitality Design and Boutique Design.

Pivoting from upholstered furniture to masks … and then to surgical gowns
The pandemic hit the hospitality industry hard. CCF saw three months’ worth of orders dry up virtually overnight in March 2020 due to supply chain disruptions and cost increases. In late March 2020, Thomas Hurd from the Simmis Group, a health care business development firm, reached out to CCF Vice President Chris Morris with a problem. Hurd had contacted numerous textile and apparel manufacturers searching for sources of surgical gowns and masks needed by frontline health care workers. Finding none, he turned to CCF, which he had worked with for more than 20 years.

This led Morris to realize that upholstery production was not very different from apparel manufacturing. The company quickly pivoted operations to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) — preserving CCF’s workforce and business during the pandemic. First CCF produced masks through a collective in Hickory, North Carolina, and then transitioned to making surgical gowns, using its existing cut and sew capabilities.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership helps CCF secure a state contract
The next step for CCF was getting the word out about its new capabilities. That’s when the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) came into the picture. NCMEP is one of 51 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico funded by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and part of the MEP National Network™. With emergency funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, MEP centers like NCMEP helped manufacturers across the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. CCF is just one of the firms that NCMEP worked with.

Hurd registered CCF with federal and state PPE portals, including one with North Carolina’s Emergency Management Division. NCMEP was helping the division identify and vet manufacturers that could produce much-needed PPE and qualify for state contracts. Follow-up conversations between NCMEP and Morris ultimately led to CCF being awarded a state contract to produce Level 2 isolation gowns. These are the gowns needed by doctors and nurses working in intensive care units.

Moving forward in new directions
CCF implemented a quality management system and achieved its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration and listing with the help of NCMEP’s CARES Act funding. It has continued producing isolation gowns and maintaining its FDA registration for this work. Like many manufacturing firms, CCF is moving in new and unexpected directions resulting from its pandemic experience. It’s now pursuing opportunities for expanding production and manufacturing additional surgical gown classifications.

For CCF, the pivot to produce PPE has changed and revitalized the company. The company has even invented a new machine. Morris says, “It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with NCMEP. We are now on the verge of filing for a new patent with the development of a new poly gown press that will keep us competitive with PPE gowns coming from Asia.”

Celebrate MFG Day 2021!
Manufacturing Day 2021 (MFG Day) is a celebration of U.S. know-how and resilience. MFG Day helps the public learn about exciting manufacturing careers in modern, innovative facilities. Join MEP and manufacturers across the country — click here to find a MFG Day event near you and celebrate the resilience of modern U.S. manufacturing!

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Photo of a Custom Contract Furnishings (CCF) worker making upholstered seating for the hospitality, health care and senior living industries. 

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Photo of a Custom Contract Furnishings (CCF) worker making upholstered seating for the hospitality, health care and senior living industries. 

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc Recognize Over $8 Billion in New U.S.-Vietnamese Business Deals; Discuss Bilateral Trade

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Inventors, Disaster Scientists and Entrepreneurs: Commerce Home to Diverse-Range of Hispanic Pioneers

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Observed annually from September 15—October 15, Hispanic American Heritage Month is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable role of the Hispanic community in our Nation’s history. President Biden has made equity and equality a top priority for his Administration. In his recent Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, he stresses, "Hispanics cannot succeed unless Hispanic families and communities succeed, sharing equally in the benefits of our Nation’s recovery and our investments."

The Department of Commerce is proud to join the President and the Nation in recognizing National Hispanic American Heritage Month and honoring and celebrating the contributions of Hispanics to our Nation. Through the Commerce Department’s diverse range of agencies, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is committed to building back better and more equitably through job creation and economic growth.

Hispanic Heritage Month also is a time to recognize the many contributions and achievements within the Hispanic community that have had a positive impact on our Nation. Below are a few leaders who, through their innovation, expertise, and entrepreneurship, have made a significant contribution to the Commerce Department’s mission to drive business expansion and economic growth and accelerate American leadership in the areas of disaster science, invention, and entrepreneurship.

JUDY MITRANI-REISER, DISASTER SCIENTIST

Throughout 1980, fleets of boats departed from Cuba, carrying emigrants to the U.S. by the thousands — an event known as the Mariel boatlift. One passenger was Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Judy Mitrani-Reiser, who was just a toddler at the time. Growing up in Miami, Judy was inspired by engineers in her family and internships with a forensic engineering firm and encouraged by her schoolteachers to pursue a career in STEM. She did just that, becoming an expert in earthquake engineering years later. Judy has greatly expanded her portfolio since, gaining expertise in numerous types of disasters and taking on roles as a professor, mentor, national program director and associate chief of the materials and structural systems division at NIST.

Today, Judy is at the head of the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) announced by NIST in August 2021 to carry out a technical investigation of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, a stone’s throw from her late grandmother’s home. At the same time, she is a playing a key role in an NCST investigation of Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico in 2017. Judy’s responsibilities also extend to managing and providing oversight to two other statutory disaster programs — the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program — focused on interagency coordination to reduce losses in the U.S. from disasters and failures.

Judy is vice president of the Board of Directors of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), serves on the Executive Committee of Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures US (CROSS-US), and co-founded the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Multi-Hazard Risk Mitigation Committee.

No matter her role, Judy is focused on building an inclusive workplace, as evidenced by the several NIST awards she has earned for boosting morale and promoting the careers of Hispanic American employees. She values mentorship and feels an immense responsibility to her trainees (dozens of students and postdoctoral scholars, and researchers) from throughout her career. She regularly participates in workshops, webinars and seminars aimed at supporting the budding careers of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.

As an established Hispanic woman and leader in disaster science, Judy hopes to instill the same inspiration and encouragement in others that sparked her own career.

JORDI MUNOZ, ENTREPRENEUR AND CO-FOUNDER OF 3D ROBOBTICS

Jordi Munoz is the Co-Founder of 3D Robotics based in San Diego, California. Munoz immigrated from Tijuana, Mexico in 2007. Since then, Muniz has met challenging situations with positivity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship. At the time, Muñoz, was a 20-year-old Mexican immigrant who had just arrived in the United States. As he was waiting for a green card, he passed time by building a drone prototype in his garage out of a video gaming console's remote control. Munoz manipulated the sensors on his gaming console and built the world’s first auto-piloted drone. Today, 3D Robotics Inc is the largest U.S and Hispanic owned commercial drone manufacturer in the country.

ELLEN OCHOA, INVENTOR AND PATENT HOLDER

Born in California, Ellen Ochoa was granted U.S. Patent 4,838,644 for "Position, Rotation, and Intensity Invariant Recognizing Method " and two other optical-related patents for an optical inspection system, an optical object recognition method, and a method for noise removal in images. Her inventions significantly increased the ability to capture and analyze finely detailed imagery, including applications in space and on the Earth. Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space when she served on a nine-day mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993.

LUIS VON AHN, INVENTOR AND PATENT HOLDER

Dr. Luis Von Ahn was granted U.S. Patent 8,555,353 for his invention, CAPTCHA, which helps distinguish human from machine input to prevent spam. In addition to keeping passwords and bank accounts safe, his work uses human computation to help decode previously untranslated words. Over 13 million books have been digitized using von Ahn's system. He owns multiple U.S. patents and has licensed some of them to major internet companies.

To see more Hispanic inventors and patent holders, please visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) page on Hispanic Heritage and Inventions. To see more Hispanic entrepreneurs, please visit the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) page on Honoring Hispanic Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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NIST Disaster Scientist Judy Mitrani-Reiser addresses a press conference on the technical investigation of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida.

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NIST Disaster Scientist Judy Mitrani-Reiser addresses a press conference on the technical investigation of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida.

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U.S. Department of Commerce Will Resume the Collection of Duties on Mexican Sugar if Negotiations Fail

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Digital Inclusion Week 2021: Supporting Digital Equity and Digital Empowerment

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In the 21st century economy, broadband access and affordability isn’t a luxury – it’s essential to everyday life. Our economy cannot fully recover unless all Americans can fully participate in our Nation’s digital economy. Affordable broadband internet is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building back a better, more equitable economy where no one is left behind. And digital inclusion is top of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. The recent Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill calls for rebuilding our Nation’s broadband infrastructure with a proposed $65 billion investment that will ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet.

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is joining more than 600 organizations this week to celebrate Digital Inclusion Week, an annual event that raises awareness of solutions to address home internet access, personal devices, and local technology training and support programs. This year’s theme, Pathways to Digital Empowerment, inspires and underscores the Biden Administration’s commitment to equality and NTIA’s mission to ensure that every American is connected and using broadband to the fullest extent.

Two of NTIA’s current grant programs specifically support digital equity in historically under-represented and marginalized communities in the U.S.

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) is making $980 million available to eligible Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning. The purpose of the TBCP grant program is to improve quality of life, spur economic development and commercial activity, create opportunities for remote employment and online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth opportunities in Native American communities.

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC) seeks to build the digital capacity of eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other Minority-serving Institutions (MSIs).  The CMC pilot program will provide $268 million in grant funding to enable these institutions further broadband access, adoption, and digital skills for their students and surrounding communities through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and minority business enterprises.

NTIA continues to work closely with state, tribal and local governments as well as a variety of other stakeholders to help them collaborate, share information, and establish best practices.  Through the State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN), NTIA facilitates communities of practitioners that work on increasing broadband access and digital inclusion at the state and local levels. NTIA is also in the process of developing a state digital equity framework in partnership with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) to assist state governments in developing strategic digital equity plans tailored for their state.

NTIA also provides online tools and resources to assist organizations in their in digital inclusion planning including the BroadbandUSA Indicators of Broadband Need Map and NTIA Data Central, with data about broadband adoption, use and computer ownership, and the BroadbandUSA Federal Funding Guide with information about digital inclusion funding opportunities across the federal government.

NTIA will continue to work with its federal partners and stakeholders nationwide to promote universal broadband adoption and digital empowerment.

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Graphic: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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Graphic: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Final Antidumping Determinations on Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from Spain

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Recognizing Hispanic American Heritage Month: Commerce Department Offers Valuable Resources and Services for Hispanic Entrepreneurs and Hispanic -Owned Businesses

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The Hispanic American community is deeply rooted in the history of the United States and are an integral part of the rich fabric of our nation. True to our mission of creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity—for all Americans—the Commerce Department works every day to support and invest in the Hispanic business community to create jobs and promote economic growth.

Over our Nation’s history, the Hispanic American community in general, and the Hispanic American business community in particular, has provided invaluable contributions that have enriched America’s economy and overall society. With the number of Hispanic Americans increasing as a share of the United States’ overall population, we look forward to even more contributions from this vital community.

As of April 1, 2020, the Hispanic share of the U.S. population was 18.7%, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s second largest racial or ethnic group. Hispanic-owned companies are a quickly growing segment of U.S. businesses. Hispanic-owned employer firms account for over 40% of all minority-owned employer firms in the U.S., contribute $423 billion in U.S. economic output, and produce 2.87 million jobs per year.

Many Commerce Department agencies offer a wide range of services to help U.S.-based companies, entrepreneurs, innovators, and minority and women-owned businesses compete and be successful while strengthening the United States’ role as a global leader.

Below are a list of services and resources ranging from demographic data, grant opportunities, assistance with exporting as well as valuable resources for Hispanic American innovators, entrepreneurs and minority-owned businesses.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises. Hispanic and other minority-owned firms seeking to penetrate new markets — domestic & global —can access business experts at a MBDA Business Center where they can seek guidance, information on funding and access other resources. The Centers are in areas with the largest concentration of minority populations and the largest number of minority businesses.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts various economic and business surveys and produces valuable data for the Hispanic community and minority-owned businesses including detailed statistics that are essential to help small businesses succeed and grow. The U.S Census Bureau also offers the Census Business Builder (CBB), a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format. In particular, they offer the Small Business Edition for small business owners who need key data for their business plan or to better understand their potential market.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) provides economic development assistance programs to help communities build back better. With $3 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan, EDA will implement a series of six programs, collectively called Investing in America’s Communities, to equitably invest in and help communities across the country build back better. Through the Indigenous Communities program, EDA is allocating $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding specifically for Indigenous communities, which were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) provides resources and customized services for businesses and minority-owned businesses currently participating in exporting and services to businesses and minority-owned businesses that are new to exporting that include online resources in planning an export strategy, choosing the best markets for your product, and evaluating potential foreign business partners in advance.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offers a hub for resources and information for inventors, entrepreneurs, and small and minority-owned businesses. Through this hub, they offer access to a variety of products and services including how to protect your idea or product, how to search existing patents and trademarks and how to apply for a patent or trademark.

NOAA’s José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) supports the training and graduation of students in NOAA mission disciplines at minority serving institutions. The EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program supports students directly through awards to successful applicants who attend MSIs. Cooperative Science Centers funded by the program and led by MSIs support post-secondary students and increase education and research capacity at MSIs in NOAA mission fields. NOAA also provides a small business hub, with the goal of creating an environment for optimal participation by small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone, Veteran Owned SB and SDVOSB, and woman-owned businesses in NOAA contract awards.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) is directing $268 million to HBCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other minority-serving organizations through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program The grants can be used for purchasing broadband internet access service and eligible equipment, or to hire and train information technology personnel.

Commerce Grants and Funding Opportunities: This site offers a one-stop shop to search for all open grant opportunities at all Commerce bureaus. In addition, various Commerce agencies offer grant and Federal contracting opportunities, including resources for contractors through the Office of Small and Disadvantage Business Utilization (OSDBU).

Additional government tools and resources for businesses, entrepreneurs and minority and women-owned businesses can also be found at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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U.S. Department of Commerce Will Resume the Collection of Duties on Mexican Sugar if Negotiations Fail

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Manufacturing Month: Deputy Secretary Don Graves Stresses Administration’s Commitment to Equitable Workforce Training in Ohio: Announces $3.6 Million Grant for Workforce Development Facility in Cleveland 

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Emphasizes Importance of Broadband & Racial Equity to Workforce Development

In honor of Manufacturing Month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves traveled to Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio from October 6-8, where he addressed the Administration’s commitment to closing the labor gap and putting Americans back to work in the wake of the pandemic.

While there, Deputy Secretary Graves announced a $3.6 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to establish an adult technical training and workforce development facility in Cleveland. This grant reflects the Biden Administration’s commitment to building a skilled workforce that supports our nation’s manufacturing sector.

“President’s Build Back Better agenda is all about investing in our economy and our workforce,” said Deputy Secretary Graves. “This EDA investment to the Workroom Program Alliance and the Cleveland Municipal School District will establish a manufacturing workforce training center that will play a critical role in creating job opportunities and boosting the regional economy.”

Deputy Secretary Graves announces Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to establish an adult technical training and workforce development facility in Cleveland.

Deputy Secretary Graves’ first stop was in Cincinnati, where he toured Nehemiah Manufacturing Company, and touted EDA’s Good Jobs Challenge, which supports individuals with past criminal records, including justice-impacted and reentry participants. The Good Jobs Challenge is part of $3 billion in funding to EDA provided by the American Rescue Act to help Americans get back to work by building and strengthening systems and partnerships that bring together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs.

“EDA’s number one investment priority is equity, and this program is aimed at supporting those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic – including women and people of color,” said Graves. “As Secretary Raimondo says, if people take the risk of getting trained in a new career, they deserve assurances that it’ll lead to a good job.”

While in Cincinnati, Deputy Secretary Graves also participated in a roundtable discussion with community and industry leaders at Grit Ohio and emphasized the importance of broadband to workforce development and the need for infrastructure funding to connect every American—particularly in rural areas—to reliable high-speed Internet.

“The digital divide is a challenge all around the country, and rural Ohio is no exception,” said Graves.” The bipartisan infrastructure bill will help us bring reliable, high-speed broadband to all Americans. The President has made clear that we will use infrastructure funds to connect every American to reliable high-speed Internet, just as the Federal Government made a historic effort to provide electricity to every American nearly 100 years ago.”

Later that day, Deputy Secretary toured the Workforce Innovation Center and addressed the Good Jobs Challenge and the importance of equality in workforce training and development. The Workforce Innovation Center is a consulting practice that partners with business leaders to advance the adoption of inclusive practices in their workplace that empowers employees, the community, and their businesses to thrive.

Economic Development Administration (EDA) graphic on the Good Jobs Challenge

Deputy Secretary Graves also visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) to hear about their work on racial equity in the labor force. The NURFC is in downtown Cincinnati and is just a few steps from the banks of the Ohio River, the great natural barrier that separated the slave states of the South from the free states of the North. The Freedom Center is developing programs and exhibits aimed at economic empowerment and inclusion for those who have been historically underrepresented in our capitalistic system; especially people of color and women.

“The work of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center continues to create an inclusive economy for all,” said Graves. “They play a vital role in not only reminding us of our country’s complex history but enabling economic opportunities for underrepresented businesses by disrupting biases and systemic inequities.”

Deputy Secretary Graves a the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio

On Thursday, Deputy Secretary Graves made his way to Cleveland, and in addition to announcing the EDA workforce development grant, he toured the Tri-C facilities at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland and participated in a roundtable discussion with local business leaders where he addressed the President’s Build Back Better agenda and the importance of investing in America’s workforce. During his remarks, he reaffirmed the Commerce Department’s commitment to equitable workforce training.

“President’s Build Back Better agenda is all about—investing in our economy and our workforce,” said Graves.” “From millions of working mothers balancing multiple jobs, to young adults looking for work, to laid-off factory workers wondering what comes next − these funds from the American Rescue Act will help provide job training and good-paying jobs for you and your communities.”

Cuyahoga supports workforce development, manufacturing education, and infrastructure workforce training through its programs at the Transportation Innovation Center and the Manufacturing Technology Center for Excellence. Tri-C exemplifies the components of the President’s agenda that focus on increased funding for education, better access to higher education, and reinvigorating the economy through education, jobs, and investing in infrastructure. During President Biden’s visit to Tri-C in May, he emphasized the importance of educational access as a means of helping cities like Cleveland — and the nation as a whole — continue recovering from the economic impact of the pandemic.

“Commerce will play a critical role in helping the President and our country build back better,” he said. Our nation is at an inflection point, which requires bold action. When we do this, we can compete on the global stage and invigorate America’s competitiveness.”

To conclude the day, Deputy Secretary Graves spoke at the Northeast Ohio Business Development Organization’s NEO Rising event where he addressed the role of the Commerce Department in the President’s Build Back Better agenda and the President’s economic development policies. These policies will help create opportunities and a more vibrant economy in the Northeast Ohio Region and across the nation.

“Commerce will play a critical role in helping the President and our country build back better,” he said. “Our nation is at an inflection point, which requires bold action. When we do this, we can compete on the global stage and reinvigorate America’s competitiveness.”

Deputy Secretary Graves speaks at the Northeast Ohio Business Development Organization’s NEO Rising event

October is designated as manufacturing month. Manufacturing is an important sector of the U.S. economy and exports of manufactured goods strengthen the manufacturing base and create better good-paying jobs.

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Deputy Secretary Graves speaks at the Northeast Ohio Business Development Organization’s NEO Rising event 

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Deputy Secretary Graves speaks at the Northeast Ohio Business Development Organization’s NEO Rising event 

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U.S. Department of Commerce Releases Report on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth Through Deregulation

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Manufacturing Month 2021: Celebrating Women-Led Manufacturers Like Woofables, the Gourmet Dog Treat Bakery in Coralville, Iowa

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In today’s manufacturing world, women play a much larger role than they have in the past. From leadership in the front office to machine operators on the shop floor, women of all ages are changing the stereotypes and face of manufacturing. Women-led firms, like all U.S. manufacturers, have dealt with many challenges during the pandemic. Manufacturing Day 2021 events across the country, which are happening throughout the month of October, are celebrating America’s manufacturing resilience during this difficult time. Events, including in-person or virtual tours of modern, high-tech manufacturing facilities, help community members see for themselves the importance of manufacturing and its many opportunities for well-paying jobs. Each manufacturer has a unique pandemic story — some took advantage of the slowdown to their business during the pandemic to reassess and plan for future growth. Here’s one woman-led manufacturer’s pandemic story.

Woofables uses the COVID-19 slump to reassess
In April 2004, Kathleen Potts and Lara Moore began baking and selling Woofables gourmet dog biscuits. Laura Taylor and her husband, Alex, took over in 2010 and run the family business in Coralville, Iowa. They and their 35 employees maintain high standards for quality dog treats and great service. Their made-from-scratch biscuits are sold in novelty and boutique pet shops throughout the United States.

The company divides its efforts — giving extremely personalized service to boutique clients while also providing standardized products for retail markets. Serving both markets limited the company’s growth. The boutique work took time away from the large-volume, more generalized products bought by big stores. Serving both markets required conflicting skills and was becoming unwieldy. Laura decided to take advantage of a deep, pandemic-driven lull in business to launch a substantial review of the company.

Finding assistance from the local Manufacturing Extension Partnership center
Laura contacted the Iowa State University Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) for help with a new strategic plan and a reevaluation of where Woofables belongs in its industry. CIRAS is one of 51 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico funded by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and part of the MEP National Network™. MEP centers are located within a couple hours’ drive of every U.S. manufacturer and offer an array of consulting services and resources. With emergency funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, MEP centers like CIRAS helped manufacturers across the country move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total reboot … leads to business expansion
CIRAS worked with an outside consultant to analyze the $4 billion pet treats industry. It was soon apparent that growth potential justified a major Woofables expansion. In late 2020, the company began assembling the people and equipment needed to expand both its pet store and grocery businesses.

A number of CIRAS business experts helped Woofables through the expansion. CIRAS strategic adviser Joy Donald assisted with recruiting new executives. CIRAS strategic adviser Steve Wilson and project manager Troy Crowe worked on value-stream mapping to help make both production lines as efficient as possible. Finally, CIRAS project manager Paul Gormley advised the company on improving its e-commerce platform so Woofables can grow its online business.

The reboot led Woofables to invest $72,000 in plant equipment, information systems and workforce. They’re already seeing great results. They’ve added seven new jobs and seen $3 million in increased sales.

“The market is there. If we hadn’t gone through this process with CIRAS, we probably would have continued on the same path, showing nice decent growth every year. But it wouldn’t have been focused, and it wouldn’t be with a plan. Now, we’re developing a plan, and we have a specific target in mind. I would recommend CIRAS to other companies. This has been a very positive experience for Woofables. We have a much better understanding of our market and how we can expand successfully. This gives us the direction and confidence to make the necessary investments for greater growth.”
— Laura Taylor, Woofables Owner and Top Dog

Celebrate MFG Day 2021 throughout October!
Manufacturing Day 2021 (MFG Day) is a celebration of U.S. know-how and resilience. Manufacturers need a diverse workforce, and women offer some of the most brilliant minds in manufacturing today. Whether you are creative, analytical or process-oriented, there is a place for you. MFG Day helps the public learn about exciting manufacturing careers in modern, innovative facilities. Join MEP and manufacturers across the country — click here to find a MFG Day event near you and celebrate diversity and resilience in modern U.S. manufacturing!

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Photo of Women Manufacturers at Woofables, Gourmet Dog Treat Bakery in Coralville, Iowa

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Photo of Women Manufacturers at Woofables, Gourmet Dog Treat Bakery in Coralville, Iowa

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc Recognize Over $8 Billion in New U.S.-Vietnamese Business Deals; Discuss Bilateral Trade

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Keeping Your Data Safe: The Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge 

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Data is critical in modern society — it aids in decision-making for everything from fighting wildfires to solving homelessness and even promoting fitness. However, managing private data has become a serious security risk for individuals, companies, and governments. In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Department of Commerce (DOC) highlights how the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) uses prize challenges to improve technologies that keep data private. These prize challenge technologies successfully enable public safety agencies to share data without compromising the privacy of individuals.

Data for Public Good

NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division conducts research for public safety agencies that are huge data generators. These agencies collect millions of records every day as they take calls for service, make arrests, respond to incidents, and take medical information from emergency response teams.

With open access to this data, agencies, researchers, and the public can analyze it for insights to generate better policy. This could have far-reaching impacts, including optimizing response time and personnel placement, natural disaster response, epidemic tracking, demographic data, and civic planning.

However, those records can also contain sensitive material known as personally identifiable information (PII), which can reveal someone’s identity. While these are public records, data collected by public safety agencies cannot be released without proper anonymization. But old techniques like standard data redaction are no longer enough to protect users’ privacy. Imagine you gave your PII to a bank and a social media platform, and both got hacked. The bank redacted your home address, but the hackers still got your name and email address. With that, they identify your PII from the social media hack, which also reveals your phone number and ZIP code. Then the hackers cross-reference these separate data breaches with publicly available information, such as voter records. In just a few minutes, your identity is vulnerable. In fact, 87% of all Americans can be identified with only three pieces of information: their ZIP code, birthday, and gender.

The Case for Differential Privacy

One way of protecting PII in datasets is using differential privacy, a relatively new mathematical model that limits the amount of information that can be learned about a person. Differential privacy works by adding carefully tailored “noise” to alter identifiable information within whole datasets, such as ages or addresses. Altering data with this “noise” is like adding static noise on a radio broadcast. With a little static, you miss a few words, but you still get the gist of what is being said; too much static and the broadcast is unintelligible. The challenge of differential privacy is tuning your mathematical models so the results come out just right, with a balanced level of privacy and utility.

NIST’s De-ID Challenges

NIST uses prize challenge competitions to crowdsource the best and brightest innovators across a multitude of fields. The latest 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge builds on the results from two 2018 differential privacy challenges to broaden their capabilities. Rather than focusing on datasets with single-use cases, this new challenge looked at temporal map data that tracks data across time.

“The reason to use a prize challenge for a differential privacy competition is because many diverse techniques can be explored simultaneously. Different solutions have different characteristics, so there is not necessarily a ‘best solution’ to this problem — it depends on the use case,” says NIST prize challenge specialist Gary Howarth. “At the end of the day, you want a diversity of solutions.”

The 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge featured 19 entries and 92 participants completing three separate coding sprints using differential privacy methods on temporal map data. Sprint 1 featured data on 911 calls in Baltimore made during the course of a year. Sprint 2 featured census data about simulated individuals in various U.S. states from 2012 to 2018. And Sprint 3 featured records of millions of taxi trips in Chicago. The goal was to create a privacy-preserving dashboard map for each sprint that showed changes across different map segments over time.

Eight teams qualified for the final scoring in Sprint 3, and six achieved submissions that were validated as differentially private. First place went to N-CRiPT of the National University of Singapore, second place went to the Minutemen of UMass Amherst, and third place went to DPSyn of Purdue University. N-CRiPT also won Sprint 2, and the Minutemen won Sprint 1.

The Solution

The 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge demonstrated that using differentially private synthetic data is an effective way to maintain both data’s privacy and utility. Synthetic data is created when data based on real individuals is put through a synthetic data generator (to add “noise”) and sanitized. When synthetic data is being analyzed to form judgments, no real person in the data is at risk of being identified, and the dataset maintains the same overarching trends.

The winning team, N-CRiPT, used Markov random fields to generate synthetic data and had great success with this method. Other solutions from competing teams included probabilistic graphical models, rescaling public data, and using weighting, clipping and archetypes. The best of these solutions demonstrated better performance on both privacy and accuracy than traditional techniques.

The final phase of the 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge occurred in spring 2021. Qualifying teams had the opportunity to advance the quality, generalizability and openness of their solutions. Following the final algorithm sprint, teams whose algorithms had been validated as differentially private were invited to make their source code open-source with an appropriate license.

What’s Next for Differential Privacy

These prize challenges and the innovative solutions developed by competitors are helping the DOC enhance the nation’s cybersecurity to protect Americans’ privacy, maintain public safety, and support our economic and national security. The strides made for differential privacy in the 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge will make it possible to utilize the vast troves of data held by public safety agencies without risking individual privacy. Because these datasets can now satisfy differential privacy, they can be used by departments to make better decisions that could have life-saving impacts.

NIST is currently organizing all of the differential privacy algorithms and metrics into an open-source repository for public use. Four of the 2020 Differential Privacy Temporal Map Challenge teams’ open-sourced code is currently available on the NIST website. Additionally, the 2018 Differential Privacy Synthetic Data Challenge winners’ open-source code is available on the NIST website. To stay up to date on NIST’s PSCR Division and the future of differential privacy, make sure you subscribe to the PSCR newsletter.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Commerce Concludes Successful Hispanic Heritage Month Showcasing Resources for Hispanic Business and Outstanding Hispanic Employees and Leaders

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Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the Commerce Department and many of its agencies held events. They showcased employees on their blog and social media platforms highlighting their achievements and what Hispanic Heritage Month meant to them. The Commerce Department is proud to honor and will continue to honor the many diverse agencies and programs and the Hispanic community throughout the year.

Following is a summary of some of the key activities in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Commerce Deputy Secretary Graves joined Assistant Secretary for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo in visiting ArepaZone DC, a local Hispanic-owned business in Washington, D.C. At the event, they led a roundtable discussion on the challenges facing Hispanic and other minority-owned business and talked about ways the Commerce Department, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and businesses can partner. Owner Gabriela Febres shared her story and the many obstacles they have overcome, thanks in part to relief programs such as the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Graves and Castillo praised Febres and other Hispanic and minority business owners for their strength and resilience throughout pandemic and for their ability to pivot their operations, ultimately helping to preserve local jobs. Read more about this event and resources EDA provides to the Hispanic community.

On the Commerce Department social media platforms and the Commerce blog, we showcased a few leaders who have made a significant contribution to the Commerce Department’s mission through their innovation, expertise, and entrepreneurship. The mission of Commerce is to drive business expansion and economic growth and accelerate American leadership in the areas of disaster science, invention, and entrepreneurship.

We also showcased the valuable resources and services we offer to Hispanic entrepreneurs and Hispanic-owned businesses. Finally, we showcased employees from various Commerce bureaus through a social media campaign on Twitter.

The Commerce Department’s Office of Civil Rights hosted the first “Cultural Café: ESPERANZA.” This virtual event highlighted Commerce Department employees and their Hispanic heritage journey via music, art displays, food videos, family traditions, and an employee interview. Economic Development Administration Regional Director Jorge D. Ayala provided opening remarks and Acting OCR Director Larry Beat provided closing remarks. Over 200 employees attended the event.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, NIST shared stories of its Hispanic staff on social media, including the stories of postdoctoral associate Ashlee Aiello (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, NIST website) who studies the porosity of cotton; health physicist Jeffrey Herrera (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, NIST website), Manufacturing Extension Partnership resource manager José Colucci-Rios (LinkedIn) and physicist Ana Maria Rey (Facebook). We also told the story of Arthur Harry Neill, Jr., a physicist at NIST in the late 1960s and early 1970s, who worked with lasers and on tire traction research. The agency also highlighted disaster scientist Judith Mitrani-Resier, who is heading up the bureau’s investigation into the Champlain Towers South collapse in a Department of Commerce blog post. NIST staff also celebrated the month with several events, including a presentation by MIT professor Christine Ortiz; a classical guitar performance from Marlow Guitar International; and a seminar by NIST fellow Ana Maria Rey.

U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO)

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the USPTO shared stories of groundbreaking Hispanic innovators on social media, including Johnny Pacheco, musician, salsa music pioneer, and founder of Fania Records, in the USPTO’s Journeys of Innovation series.  The USPTO also held several special events, including its second annual Hispanic Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program on October 13, featuring Alejandra Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Leandro Margulis, inventor of a durable radio-frequency identification device, and other notable Hispanic innovators. The same day, the Eastern Regional USPTO offered a program, both in Spanish and in English, on intellectual property resources for inventors and entrepreneurs, including COVID-19 relief and assistance efforts. (The USPTO regularly offers webinars in Spanish throughout the year, such as the Introducción a la Propiedad Intelectual series.) Earlier in the month, the USPTO chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers held a virtual discussion for employees with Dr. Ana Muñoz-Gonzalez, research scientist and teacher at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Muñoz-Gonzalez was selected in 2021 as National Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Association of Two Way & Dual Language Education. The agency also highlighted some of its Hispanic employees on social media, who discussed what they enjoy about working at the USPTO.

The Hispanic American community is deeply rooted in the history of the United States and are an integral part of the rich fabric of our nation. True to our mission of creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity—for all Americans—the Commerce Department works every day to support and invest in the Hispanic business community to create jobs and promote economic growth.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Graphic of Commerce employees in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

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Graphic of Commerce employees in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

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U.S. Department of Commerce Will Resume the Collection of Duties on Mexican Sugar if Negotiations Fail

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Celebrating Our Nation’s First Responders

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By Edward Parkinson, Chief Executive Officer, First Responder Network Authority

First responders face challenges every day with grit, determination, and selflessness. We are thankful for the work they do to protect our communities, especially as a global pandemic has added extra obstacles, restrictions, danger, and stress to their mission.

During this worldwide health crisis, natural disasters and emergencies continue to occur, yet public safety continues to persevere as they strive to keep our communities safe. Through everyday incidents and extraordinary circumstances, first responders are finding ways to meet their mission.

On this day, National First Responders Day, we take time to celebrate and honor the women and men of public safety.

Finding New Ways to Answer the Call

The pandemic has impacted how first responders carry out their daily operations. The public safety community has come together time and time again to find new ways to maintain continuity of operations, and FirstNet – the only nationwide broadband network dedicated to public safety – has been there to support this innovation.

For example, Palm Beach County’s Public Safety Department in Florida is using FirstNet to support remote emergency communications center operations, allowing telecommunicators to continue to work safely from home. The Indiana County Emergency Management Agency in Pennsylvania is using the network for remote training opportunities to keep staff up to date on the latest skills. Many additional agencies are relying on FirstNet for connectivity at testing and vaccination sites.

Innovating to Enhance Operations

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) is an independent authority within the United States Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration that is tasked with overseeing the building, deployment, and operation of the FirstNet network. Our job is to support first responders, and we work hand-in-hand with public safety from every discipline to ensure their needs are being met as the network grows and evolves.

We are also seeking innovative ways to support first responders’ lifesaving mission and helping to ensure responders have the tools they need. Advanced mission-ready solutions like next generation mapping capabilities give public safety greater situational awareness. High powered user equipment maximizes coverage and helps responders stay connected in the field. A catalog of apps contains an array of tools for first responders, all of which have been reviewed and tested for public safety. And the FirstNet Authority offers dedicated pre-planning, after action, and training support to assist agencies in incorporating mobile broadband into their every day and emergency operations.

Expanding Coverage for Public Safety

Our country is made up of a diverse landscape. That unique terrain makes our nation beautiful, but it can pose communications challenges for first responders. FirstNet is a network designed to work for all first responders, including those who work in rural and tribal areas where coverage has traditionally been sparse.

The FirstNet Authority is dedicated to expanding broadband access where public safety has told us they need it most. FirstNet also offers innovative deployable solutions, like mobile and portable cell towers, to help enable temporary coverage in remote areas, after large disasters or to support large events. Technology can be a game changer for public safety operations, and we are working to ensure all first responders have access to tools that can make their jobs easier, more efficient, and safer.

Thank You, First Responders

At the FirstNet Authority, we are dedicated to supporting first responders as they save lives and protect our communities. Every day, we are incredibly grateful for the bravery first responders display. Today, on National First Responders Day, we honor public safety for everything they do for our nation.

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Graphic on National First Responders Day

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Graphic on National First Responders Day

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Exploring the Digital Nation - Computer and Internet Use at Home

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Cybersecurity Month: NIST Cybersecurity Framework and the Benefits of a Unified Approach in Securing our Cyberspace 

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Since 2004, October has been recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Every year, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the Department of Homeland Security raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity in our country.  This year we continue this tradition with the theme “Do Your Part.  #BeCyberSmart.” This year’s theme encourages individuals and organizations to understand their role in enhancing cybersecurity.

In collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce is proud to highlight some of the work we are doing to increase cybersecurity awareness and encourage the adoption of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

To help address gaps in the approaches that organizations are taking to address cybersecurity risks, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) developed its National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Framework. This framework helps organizations better understand their cybersecurity risks, such as threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts, by encouraging organizations to use a common language regarding cybersecurity risks.  This shared language enables staff from all levels to have a shared understanding of their organization’s cybersecurity risks.  Second, the Framework assists organizations in reducing risks by implementing customized measures to encourage organizations to respond to and recover from cybersecurity incidents by analyzing root causes and considering what improvements can be made in the future.

However, having the proper tools is not enough. In order to build upon this framework, cybersecurity entities must also strengthen the diversity within their organizations and institutions as well. The United States’ greatest strength is its rich diversity, culturally, ideologically, and professionally. The benefits to the cybersecurity sector by encouraging more Americans from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to explore careers in this critical sector. During a recent “Twitter takeover” of the Chief Information Officers Council twitter account, Department of Commerce Chief Information Security Officer Ryan Higgins reiterated this crucial sentiment:

“Throughout my career, I’ve learned that your #CyberCareer is more than technical skills. The @NISTcyber NICE Framework is a powerful resource for you to plan your career path, including how those with nontraditional backgrounds can apply these to cybersecurity

“Building a pipeline and ensuring we can recruit the best #CyberCareer talent means we need to bring in individuals with varied skills to ensure our cyber programs add value and that we all achieve our mission goals.”

Ultimately, these efforts will be in vain if we do not have a unified approach and bring together partners in both the private and public sectors to enhance our nation’s cyber security. In his speech at the Department of Homeland Security Space Cybersecurity Symposium, Deputy Secretary Graves highlighted the importance of working together to maintain cybersecurity standards in the public and private sector:

“Designing systems with both cybersecurity and resilience in mind at the outset will allow us to respond and contain the effects of disruptions more quickly. I know many of you are already working hard to protect space systems from cyberattacks, but there are still gaps we must address. And the best way to do that is by making sure the cybersecurity standards are consistent across the government and the private sector. We need to work together on this. Public-private partnership here is absolutely vital.”

Over the past year, many organizations have done this work and the Department of Commerce applauds their efforts and looks forward to continued collaboration between the public and private in order to expand American innovation and competitiveness through a secure cyberspace.

“The more we work together, the more resilient all of our systems will be.”

— Deputy Secretary Don Graves

If you are interested in exploring a career in cybersecurity, please visit Discovering Cybersecurity Careers to learn more.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Graphic on Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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Graphic on Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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Celebrating America’s Manufacturing Resilience: Applauding Makers, Like Phorge Makerspace in Sheridan, Wyoming 

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We are celebrating America’s manufacturing resilience during this difficult time. Unlike traditional manufacturing facilities, makerspaces are places where people bounce ideas off each other, work out problems, learn and hone useful skills as they make things themselves. Here’s one makerspace’s unique pandemic story.

Phorge Makerspace — part of a statewide community of makers

Phorge Makerspace in Sheridan, Wyoming, is part of a community of makers extending throughout the state. It’s a place where people with shared interests voluntarily gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment and knowledge. Makerspaces support truly diverse and creative interests — including sewing, rocketry, fabrication, 3D printing, woodworking, soap making and much more. They are popular spaces that draw people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets: students, engineers, hobbyists, mathematicians, artists — you name it. In addition to the physical space where users create things, makers participate in active online communities for learning and problem-solving.

Phorge Makerspace offers equipment and training for 3D printing and design (computer-aided design and manufacturing, also called CAD/CAM), software coding, laser and vinyl cutting, and electronics. It warmly welcomes all to join its community to share, create, collaborate, research, develop, mentor, cross-pollinate, play and of course — learn!

Makers making a difference during the pandemic

During the pandemic, when personal protective equipment (PPE) was in short supply, Phorge Makerspace made it a priority to help close the supply chain gap. Phorge’s makers used their equipment and expertise to 3D-print PPE, including face shields and masks for local first responders, hospitals and many other organizations.

With seemingly limitless demand, 3D printers ran around the clock to build stockpiles of PPE. Makerspaces from across Wyoming formed two groups to meet local PPE needs: WyoMakers in the northern part of the state and Wyoming Technology Coronavirus Coalition in the south. They had the equipment and expertise, but faced a challenge: They needed funding for materials.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership connects the makers to the funders

Phorge sought help from Wyoming’s Manufacturing Works for finding funding. Manufacturing Works is one of 51 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico funded by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and part of the MEP National Network™. MEP centers are located within a couple hours’ drive of every U.S. manufacturer and offer an array of consulting services and resources.

With emergency funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, MEP Centers like Manufacturing Works helped manufacturers — and some makerspaces — across the country pivot to produce PPE to help meet critical needs during the pandemic.

MEP experts help Phorge lay the groundwork for successful grant applications

Manufacturing Works assisted Phorge throughout the entire grant application process. Its experts identified funding sources, knew what was needed for successful applications, and arranged a meeting with the Homeland Security County Coordinators to lay the groundwork. Manufacturing Works designed a questionnaire and helped Phorge distribute it to applicable organizations to document needs, as required for the grants. Manufacturing Works also created a tracking and distribution system for quality control across the makerspaces collaborating with Phorge. That way, if any defects occurred, the order could be traced back to the makerspace where it was made and the problem fixed at the source.

The MEP center’s statewide relationships help seal the deals

With proper documentation, quality control and an estimated budget, it was time for Phorge to apply for the grants. Advisers at Manufacturing Works drew on their statewide relationships to arrange meetings that eased Phorge’s way through the next steps. They set up a special meeting with the city of Sheridan, and the city’s vote paved the way for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The CDBG application required hosting by a state governing body, and Manufacturing Works’ strong relationship with the Wyoming Business Council made all the difference. The council held an emergency vote and quickly approved the CDBG grant for Phorge. Manufacturing Works then leveraged additional statewide relationships to put the right people in the room for a Community Foundation Grant. In all, with guidance from Manufacturing Works, Phorge received a $48,000 Community Development Block Grant and an additional $17,000 Community Foundation Grant to make PPE needed across the state.

“Manufacturing Works figured out exactly what we needed and didn’t hesitate to jump in and make it happen! Our COVID-19 efforts were grown significantly when they jumped on board.”
— Spencer Kuzara, Phorge Makerspace Director

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Courtesy of the Wyoming Business Council/Eric Trowbridge

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Courtesy of the Wyoming Business Council/Eric Trowbridge

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phuc Recognize Over $8 Billion in New U.S.-Vietnamese Business Deals; Discuss Bilateral Trade

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U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Stats on Nation's Veteran Population

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The following is a cross-post from the U.S. Census Bureau

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 making it an annual observance, and it became a national holiday in 1938. Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day to honor all those who served the country in war or peace. On this day, the nation honors military veterans with parades and other observances across the country and a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to U.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation in helping us measure America’s people, places and economy.

Veteran Population

Did You Know?

18.2 million

The number of military veterans in the United States from 2015-2019.

1.6 million

The number of female veterans in the United States from 2015-2019.

1.7%

The percentage of veterans from 2015-2019 who were Asian Americans. Additionally, 77.2% were non-Hispanic White; 6.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 11.9% African American; 0.8% American Indian or Alaska Native; 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 1.3% were Some Other Race. (The numbers include only those reporting a single race.)

23.5%

The percentage of veterans ages 75 and older from 2015-2019. At the other end of the age spectrum, 8.8% were younger than age 35.

For more information on our America's Veteran population, please see the latest Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2021.

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Graphic featuring faces from various U.S. military branches

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Graphic featuring faces from various U.S. military branches

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U.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Antidumping Duty Investigations of Imports of Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin from Brazil, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan

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Native Americans Play Critical Role in NOAA Coastal Projects

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The following is a cross-post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

In President Biden’s proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day last October, he noted, “History demonstrates that Native American people—and our Nation as a whole—are best served when Tribal governments are empowered to lead their communities and when Federal officials listen to and work together with Tribal leaders when formulating Federal policy that affects Tribal Nations.”

That same month, the nation’s oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities struck a similar chord, with two resolutions that urged better federal coordination with Native American communities.

The National Congress of American Indians called for “fair and equitable” access to U.S. federal resilience programs, working groups, and resources, emphasizing that Indigenous knowledge “must be acknowledged, respected, and promoted” in relevant federal resilience activities.

NOAA is involved in a wide variety of projects that benefit greatly from Indigenous community contributions, and many more such partnerships are in the planning stages. A few stories demonstrate the powerful ecological wisdom and cultural values that Indigenous communities bring to the table.

Indigenous leaders improve Northeast ocean plan

Partners in the ocean plan finalized in 2016 by the Northeast Regional Planning Body included the 10 federally recognized tribes in New England. The plan’s data portal and engagement process helped both tribal governments and other sectors safeguard natural resources while navigating complex new industries, such as Rhode Island’s Block Island offshore wind energy facility.

The Aroostook Band of Micmacs was one of three co-chairs that guided the plan, and many attribute its ongoing success to a vigorous commitment by tribal leaders and stewards. Tribal Consultation Best Practice Guidelines, developed at the same time, aids other coastal organizations that engage with tribal partners on any topic.

The State of Rhode Island and NOAA Office for Coastal Management serve as the other two co-chairs.

Centuries of knowledge enrich Wisconsin project

Hundreds of years before the Wisconsin Point Lighthouse became one of Lake Superior’s most-photographed sights, the Ojibwe people made their home on its surrounding lands, establishing sacred sites still revered today. Their knowledge of its land and waters were vital to a large-scale restoration of the area’s ecology and habitat.

Following three years of work, much of it led by tribal groups, the point’s restored areas cover an acre of dunes, 85 acres of forest, and 150 acres of sensitive coastal habitat. The restoration involved removing invasive species and replanting native vegetation, such as traditional medicinal plants.

The City of Superior led the project in partnership with the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, and NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management provided $1.5 million in funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Oregon tribes and a reserve share natural resources

Over several decades, Oregon’s South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve became surrounded by dense forest that posed serious fire risks and limited visitors’ vistas within the watershed. Local tribal organizations joined with other partners to lessen those risks dramatically, creating a healthier habitat and a richer environmental education experience.

The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians donated culturally important native plants that, in combination with forest thinning, nurture the research reserve’s insect pollinators, songbirds, and bats. The plants enhance a rain garden that, along with a renovated gutter system, captures stormwater runoff.

Following forest thinning and prescribed burns, the reserve donated 60 Port Orford cedar logs each to these Confederated Tribes and to the Coquille Indian Tribe. “Cedar, much like salmon, is the lifeblood of our culture; it provides us with medicine, clothing, housing, and transportation,” wrote Doc Slyter, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, in a letter of appreciation.

A $137,000 grant from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management aided the effort. Other partners also contributed funding, time, or talent to the effort.

Indigenous steward becomes key California partner

Sea level rise threatens the wetlands of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is home to hundreds of bird species, as well as the threatened southern sea otter and endemic Olympia oysters. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, a steward of the land for hundreds of years, is a major partner in a project to restore 30 acres of marsh and three acres of prairie, and to recruit 50,000 native Olympia oysters.

These efforts continue work completed several years ago, which raised 61 acres of former salt marsh to an elevation that allows plants to return and to keep pace with projected sea level rise.

Tribal members will help restore the oyster population and write educational and outreach materials centering on Indigenous knowledge and ancestral stewardship of the slough. The California Ocean Protection Council awarded $1.3 million to the research reserve for this project, part of which will aid the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s Native Stewardship Corps in employing workers.

A variety of NOAA projects benefit from the lived experiences of staff members who are Native Americans or Alaska Natives. View this article to learn more about them. (2021)

Partners: Amah Mutsun Tribal Band; Amah Mutsun Land Trust Native Stewardship Corps; California Ocean Protection Council; City of Superior; Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians; Coos County; Coos Forest Protective Association; Coos Watershed Association; Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve; Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa; Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; Northeast Regional Ocean Council, NOAA Office for Coastal Management; Oregon Department of State Lands; Oregon State University Extension; State of Rhode Island, South Slough Reserve Management Commission; South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management; Wisconsin Coastal Management Program; and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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The lands and waters surrounding Wisconsin Point Lighthouse, shown here, are more welcoming to people and other living things, thanks to the local Ojibwe community and other partners. Credit: Sharon Mollerus, Wikimedia Commons

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The lands and waters surrounding Wisconsin Point Lighthouse, shown here, are more welcoming to people and other living things, thanks to the local Ojibwe community and other partners. Credit: Sharon Mollerus, Wikimedia Commons

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Cabinet Secretaries to Join Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross at SelectUSA Investment Summit

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Department of Commerce’s NTIA Awards First Grants to Tribal Groups Seeking to Expand Broadband

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The following is a cross-post from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Vice President Kamala Harris announced today at the conclusion of the White House 2021 Tribal Nations Summit that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has awarded the first three grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. These initial awards, totaling nearly $1.4 million, are being made to the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe in Virginia, and the Sokaogon Chippewa Community Wisconsin. In June, Vice President Harris, Secretary Raimondo, and Secretary Haaland announced the availability of nearly $1 billion in tribal broadband funding during an event at the White House.

Two of the grants will support the provision of broadband services, computers, and digital skills training to tribal members and one will fund a tribal broadband planning project. More information on these three grants is provided in the table below.

NTIA is continuing to review the more than 280 remaining applications received during the application window, which closed on Sept. 1, 2021. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will announce additional awards on a rolling basis as they go through NTIA’s review process.

“Indian country has been left out of critical investments in broadband infrastructure for far too long,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The Biden Administration is committed to reversing that trend. Today’s awards will provide a range of benefits to tribes, including providing tribal members with Internet connectivity, devices, resources to fund broadband capacity and needs planning, as well as digital skills needed to thrive in 21st century.”

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which was funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, makes $980 million available for grants to eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning. The recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides an additional $2 billion in funding for this program. NTIA anticipates issuing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for the additional funds.

“The strong demand for Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grants underscores the broadband inequities that Native communities and their people face and the need for creative solutions, partnerships and support in closing their digital divide,” said Acting NTIA Administrator Evelyn Remaley. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact of today’s awards in tribal communities, and the broadband success of future awardees as they merge together the cultural, educational, medical, and economic fiber critical to closing the digital divide.”

NTIA is proud to be part of the federal government’s broadband investment portfolio. Additional broadband funding may be available through the Department of Treasury’s American Rescue Plan Funds. The BroadbandUSA Federal Funding Guide also compiles federal funding opportunities for expanding and improving broadband access. More information about the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program can be found on the BroadbandUSA website.

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NTIA is committed to increasing broadband Internet access across America, particularly in unserved and underserved communities.

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NTIA is committed to increasing broadband Internet access across America, particularly in unserved and underserved communities.

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Cabinet Secretaries to Join Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross at SelectUSA Investment Summit

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The Minority Business Development Agency is Permanently Authorized in Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

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The following is a cross-post from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

Bill’s passage assigns an Under Secretary to oversee the Agency, mandates services to rural areas, provides authorities for a new Minority Business Development Grant program and the creation of partnerships with HBCU’s and minority-serving institutions.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is made permanent and will be expanded and elevated with the passage of this historic legislation. This action allows the agency to increase their programs and outreach to the Nation’s more than 9 million minority-owned businesses.

“President Biden has made clear his commitment to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably,” said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo. “The Minority Business Development Agency is ready to step into this historic moment and build on its success – because we recognize that America’s road to recovery runs through our minority business community. Making MBDA a statutory Agency provides MBDA with the authorities, workforce and resources needed to help level the playing field on behalf of minority businesses and minority entrepreneurs.”

“The Department of Commerce and MBDA play a pivotal role in promoting the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses,” said U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves. “This legislation is transformative and signifies a new era in minority business development and progress toward addressing the long-standing racial disparities in access to capital, contracts, and business ecosystems.”

“Created by Executive Order in 1969, the Minority Business Development Agency is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises,” said Miguel Estién, Acting National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency. “The Minority Business Development Act of 2021 is one of the most significant pieces of legislation impacting the minority business community in the last 50 years. I look forward to helping lead the Agency’s transformation at this critical juncture in our nation’s history.”

The bill expands the geographic reach of the MBDA by authorizing the creation of regional MBDA offices, rural business centers, and increasing the number and scope of existing programs.

The Act also:

Creates a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development to lead the agency.

Increases the MBDA’s grant-making capacity to partner with community and national nonprofits engaged in private and public sector development as well as research.

Mandates the creation of the Parren J. Mitchel Entrepreneurship Education Grants Program to cultivate the next generation of minority entrepreneurs on the campuses HBCUs and MSIs across the Nation.

Creates a council to advise the Under Secretary on supporting MBEs; and

Authorizes the Under Secretary to coordinate federal MBE programs.

The MBDA will report on the implementation milestones of the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 through the website, www.MBDA.gov.

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President Joe Biden Signs the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

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President Joe Biden Signs the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

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A Communique on the G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial

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Saturday, November 27, 2021 is Small Business Saturday – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. This year, we know that small businesses need our support now more than ever as they navigate, retool and pivot from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Please join SBA and organizations across the country in supporting your local small businesses by shopping at a small business.

Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by SBA since 2011, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of small businesses’ busiest shopping season. Historically, reported projected spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $19.8 billion according to the 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express. The survey also found that 97% of shoppers recognized the positive impact they can make by shopping small and 85% of them reported they also encouraged friends and family to Shop Small® as well.

The highly successful team of SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and American Express will be kicking off the 2021 holiday season by encouraging consumers to support our nation’s nearly 32 million independent businesses this Small Business Saturday and all holiday season long.

How You Can Participate

For shoppers

Find participating small businesses in your area

For small business owners

Get free Small Business Saturday marketing materials - including sample posters, and social media resources

For partner organizations

SBA's social media guide

Follow SBA on social media for all the latest updates on #ShopSmall

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Small Business Saturday social media graphic.jpg

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U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determination on Aluminum Foil From the People's Republic of China

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This Native American Heritage Month We Must Recommit to Closing the Digital Divide and Increasing Digital Equity and Opportunity for Native Americans 

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As our Nation honors Native American Heritage Month, the Department of Commerce remains committed to building back a better, more equitable economy where no one is left behind. By implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will help ensure every person in this country, especially those living on Tribal land and other underserved areas, has access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet.

Indigenous communities are among the most unserved and underserved populations for broadband deployment and adoption in the country, which has been devastatingly evident throughout the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly half of the households in tribal lands lack broadband service at home.

Fortunately, more help is on the way. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act  includes a $42.45 billion infrastructure program and important measures on affordability and digital inclusion, as well as an additional $2 billion for NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). The TBCP is designed to help tribal communities participate more fully in today’s modern economy. Grants are available to eligible Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning.

This builds on the work the Department of Commerce and the Biden administration have been doing to better serve Tribal nations’ broadband needs.

In June, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the availability of nearly $1 billion for the program, funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

And, just last week, at the White House 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that NTIA awarded the first three grants as part of the TBCP. These initial awards, totaling nearly $1.4 million, are being made to the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe in Virginia, and the Sokaogon Chippewa Community in Wisconsin.

“Tribal nations have been left out of critical investments in broadband infrastructure for far too long,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “These investments will help many Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian communities gain long-overdue access to life-saving technologies, economic opportunities, remote learning and countless other benefits.”

When Secretary Raimondo addressed the National Congress of American Indians’ 78th Annual Convention last month, she committed to working with Tribal governments to get them the broadband connections needed to participate in the 21st-century economy. NTIA has an entirely Native American staff working on the TBCP. Prior to the launch of the TBCP, NTIA facilitated 13 hours of Tribal consultations and performed extensive outreach, including more than 50 regional Tribal technical assistance workshops, 10 webinars for prospective applicants, and engagement at the individual Tribal level.

“Not only do Tribal nations need and deserve to be heard when it comes to equitable access to broadband, but the Department of Commerce and NTIA recognizes that representation is equally important when concerning these issues,” Secretary Raimondo added. “We are proud that the team leading these efforts come from the Tribes and communities they are working to serve through this program and understand these issues deeply and personally.”

In September, the NTIA announced it had received more than 280 applications for TBCP for a total of over $5 billion in funding requests. The volume of requests demonstrates the significant need to expand access to and adoption of broadband service on tribal lands.

As increased funding comes in through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Commerce Department and NTIA will continue to work with Tribal nations to ensure that we close the digital divide once and for all.

To learn more about the NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, please visit here.

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Photos of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program staff

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Photos of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program staff

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Residential Propane Price Analysis 2006 

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Department of Commerce Hosts Biden Administration’s First Interagency Equity Convening

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On November 9th, 2021, the Department of Commerce, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation; the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance; B Lab; Families and Workers Fund; and Ariel Investments, hosted the Biden-Harris administration’s first-ever Interagency Convening on Equitable Economic Growth. By bringing together key players from the government and private sector, speakers shared best practices, recent successes, and announced upcoming initiatives to advance economic equity for communities of color and underrepresented groups.

The Convening served as a forum where experts across agencies and sectors discussed key issues in building an inclusive economic recovery and solutions such as community investing, quality job creation, workforce training, supporting small businesses, diversity in corporate America, and leveraging data and disclosure for transparency and racial and gender equity.

“The fact that we’re all here together from so many different sectors is a testament to how unified we are on the importance of this issue to the future of the American economy.” Deputy Secretary Don Graves said.

Deputy Secretary Graves officially kicked off the event by introducing Gene Sperling, White House ARP Coordinator and Senior Advisor to President Biden, who began the program by discussing his work as director of the American Rescue Plan and the importance of equity in the implementation of economic policies. Following this, Gene Sperling introduced Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

White House ARP Coordinator Gene Sperling speaking at the convening

Secretary Raimondo also gave remarks on the new funds allocated to the Department of Commerce via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and celebrated the news that the Minority Business Development Agency within the Department of Commerce would be permanently authorized under the new law.

“Our economy cannot fully recover unless all Americans can fully participate, said Secretary Raimondo. “America's diversity is a competitive advantage - but only if we give everyone an opportunity to fulfill their potential and fully participate. At Commerce, we’re honored to play a leading role in helping our nation achieve that…Investing in equity for our people is the highest value investment we can possibly make. It’ll pay dividends for our future economic productivity, job creation, and all the things we need for a healthy, vibrant, competitive economy.”

Secretary Gina Raimondo making remarks at the beginning of the Convening

Following the Secretary’s remarks, the Deputy Secretary held a fireside chat with John Rogers, founder, and CEO of Ariel Investments focused on diversity in business leadership, the progress made on economic inequality, and what needs to improve.

From left: Seema Mody, CNBC, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, and John Rogers, CEO and founder of Ariel Investments

“[The President] believes to his core that unless we unleash the human capital in this country, we as a country will never be able to compete with the rest of the world where that’s sort of a given.” Deputy Secretary Don Graves remarked. “It's incumbent upon us as a society to make sure that businesses aren’t failing simply because they don’t have access to capital”

Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation shared his call for “concerted, coordinated, and courageous” partnership between the government and private sectors. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to change how we do things. We must commit to making meaningful and robust investments in communities that have been denied access to the dividends of equitable economic growth,” he said.

Darren Walker speaks at the Convening

Afterward, a panel on Scaling Business, Entrepreneurship, and Community Investment as a Pathway to Inclusive Economic Opportunity featured Deputy Secretary Julie A. Su of the Department of Labor, Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Former D.C. Mayor & Partner at MaC Ventures Adrian Fenty, and President of Morgan State University Dr. David Wilson.

The panel was immediately followed by another fireside chat with Ambassador Susan Rice, Domestic Policy Advisor for the White House, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, who spoke on Ambassador Rice’s work advancing equity throughout the Biden Administration.

Ambassador Susan Rice and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo

Chair Gary Gensler of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission spoke about the Biden-Harris administration’s focus on promoting fairness and equity in their rules and enforcement and promoting equal access to all members of the public.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gelsner speaks at the convening

Administrator Isabel Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration spoke of the historic investments the Biden-Harris administration has made in supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. She also highlighted the positive impact that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will have on our communities.

SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman speaks at the convening

Deputy Secretary Graves was later joined by Jeffrey Hirsch, President, and CEO of Starz, to speak on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Hollywood.  Jeffrey Hirsch and Starz started the #TakeTheLead initiative, focused on giving first-time storytellers and directors from underrepresented communities opportunities at making big-budget Hollywood projects.

“The entertainment industry can play a big role in making strides towards more economic equity,” Deputy Secretary Don Graves said. “Telling a story helps people understand not only where they’ve been but the possibility.”

Private sector leaders also held a panel, led by Fran Seagull, President of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, on opportunities to partner with the government to catalyze equitable economic prosperity for workers, entrepreneurs, and communities.

From left: Lisa Skeete Tatum, Founder & CEO, Landit; Pete Stavros, Co-Founder and Chairman, Ownership Works; Otis Rolley, Senior Vice President, The Rockefeller Foundation; Executive Committee Member, Families and Workers Fund; and Bulbul Gupta, President & CEO, Pacific Community Ventures

Finally, the Deputy Secretary offered closing remarks and committed to reconvening every year with his partners in the public and private sectors.

“Hopefully you will leave today feeling inspired to take action. Think about it – what can YOU do? What is in YOUR power? I hope you harness your power – however big or small – and the power of your community to make a difference, based on the ideas you heard discussed here today,” Deputy Secretary Don Graves said. “Here is my commitment to you – I'm proud to say that we, the Deputy Secretaries here, will now hold this event annually. So please join us here next year and hold us accountable for what we’ve pledged.”

The following partners also made commitments to increase equity:

The U.S. Impact Investing Alliance and B Lab committed to creating the Coalition for Inclusive Economic Growth. This coalition will work with the administration on advancing a comprehensive set of structural reforms in community investments

The Families and Workers Fund committed $25 million to champion high-quality jobs for those in lower-paying, precarious, or rapidly-changing jobs, especially people of color, young people, women, and caregivers

State Street committed to undertaking an external civil rights audit and encourages other companies to approach diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives through a similar lens

View the full agenda of the event or watch a replay of the entire convening.

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Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves giving closing remarks at the Interagency Convening

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Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves giving closing remarks at the Interagency Convening

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Come One, Come All: Registration for the 2022 SelectUSA Investment Summit is Now Open! 

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As Secretary of Commerce, one of the first events I had the pleasure of hosting was one of the Department’s largest and longstanding – the annual SelectUSA Investment Summit.

Organizing a well-known and typically widely attended international summit during a global pandemic seemed like an insurmountable task, but this past June the Department of Commerce rose to the challenge. We safely welcomed over 3,400 attendees to join us virtually to continue the dialogue on why, as President Biden asserted in his Investment Summit address, the U.S. is the best place to do business.

With vaccination rates continuing to rise, I am pleased to announce that the 2022 SelectUSA Investment Summit will be held from June 26 – 29, 2022, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Fortunately, thanks to President Biden’s leadership and the hundreds of millions of Americans who have received a vaccine, we will host this year’s summit in person, and will do so in a way that continues to put the health and safety of all attendees first and foremost.

I have witnessed the tremendous opportunities and collaboration that the convening power of the Investment Summit brings. Thousands of foreign investors actively connect with economic development organizations (EDOs) and service providers from nearly every U.S. state and territory to gain the tools, information, and connections their companies need to grow their business here.

Innovation and entrepreneurship were front and center during last year’s virtual summit, which saw robust participation from 8 Cabinet Members, 28 U.S. Governors, multiple high-level executives of major corporations and representatives from every single U.S. state and territory, as well as a personal address from President Biden announcing the Open Investment Policy. These themes will once again be a key focus this year.

The SelectUSA Tech program which connects early-stage and startup technology companies to prospects for advancement in the U.S. market, will again offer attendees the opportunity to showcase their products and services at branded booths with the chance to pitch their concepts to a panel of judges, participate in workshops and Investment Academy sessions, and much more.

I am also pleased to announce that Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) will be an integral part of this year’s Investment Summit.  Geared towards international women founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the technology sector, SGWIT participants will be matched in sessions with experienced, successful mentors to help them develop market entry strategies, tailor their product and promotion for success in the U.S. market, have access to an exclusive networking platform, and hear from successful global women founders. I had the pleasure of announcing SGWIT’s launch at last summit and I can’t wait to see what this year will bring.

The Investment Summit will also support the Biden Administration’s ambitious actions to tackle the climate crisis. SelectUSA recognizes the importance of global climate priorities and has organized sessions at the 2022 Investment Summit to bring together stakeholders in key clean energy and related sectors such as advanced batteries, energy storage, civil nuclear energy, offshore wind and semiconductors.

The 2022 SelectUSA Investment Summit aims to provide attendees with exciting chances to engage, explore and learn about all facets of potential business investment opportunities that the U.S. has to offer. Since its inception, the Investment Summit has generated more than $57.9 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 47,000 jobs across the United States and its territories.

It is no wonder that the U.S. was once again the top destination for foreign direct investment across the globe. We have a lot to offer companies looking to expand their horizons and I hope to see them all this June.

As Secretary of Commerce, I spend much of my time working with the trusted public servants at the Department of Commerce to ensure American businesses remain competitive at home and abroad. Events like the SelectUSA Investment Summit foster innovation and are exactly what our country needs to keep its competitive edge.

I know the team at SelectUSA is working around the clock to ensure an agenda just as robust as last year. I’m looking forward to sharing all that we have in store for the 2022 SelectUSA Investment and I invite you to apply and see how to further expand your businesses through U.S. investment.

Please be sure to follow @SelectUSA on Twitter and LinkedIn to remain informed on all 2022 SelectUSA Investment Summit Announcements.

I hope to see you this June!

Please note: The Department of Commerce continues to evaluate health safety protocols to ensure the SelectUSA Summit is conducted in a way that is safe for attendees, as guided by CDC recommendations and state and local guidelines. We will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or proof of negative test. We will actively update attendees on protocols to ensure they are fully informed about any additional requirements.

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As entrepreneurship month comes to a close, the Department of Commerce remains laser focused on creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate across the U.S. While the majority of startups are within cities like Boston, New York and San Francisco, we at the Commerce department know that there are untapped sources of innovation within unconventional startup cities.

We are committed to equitably rebuilding our economy by investing in additional cities to boost entrepreneurship and spur industry. Especially in places where people haven't had the same opportunity due to their race, gender or geography. We know there are innovators in many cities, but they might not have the necessary infrastructure to take advantage of their innovative ideas.

This is where the Commerce Department comes into play.

Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant investments support the implementation of locally-driven economic development strategies designed to make it easier for businesses to start and grow.

Traditional EDA grant programs can help communities build infrastructure like business incubators that provide the invaluable resources and assistance that startups need to grow, hire, and prosper. EDA also administers a Revolving Loan Program, which allows eligible recipients to capitalize or recapitalize lending programs that service businesses that may not be able to obtain traditional bank financing.

EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) aims to empower communities so that entrepreneurs can launch companies, scale technologies, and create the jobs of tomorrow.

OIE manages several grant competitions that support high-growth entrepreneurship, create jobs, and drive economic growth, including the Build to Scale Program to accelerate technology entrepreneurship by increasing inclusive access to business support and startup capital, and the STEM Talent Challenge to build STEM talent training systems to strengthen regional innovation economies.

In addition, EDA today is moving $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding into communities through six innovative programs, including the Good Jobs Challenge, which can help businesses gain the talent they need to succeed by allocating $500 million toward industry-led workforce training programs to help get Americans – particularly women, people of color and those in underserved communities - back to work in good-paying jobs.

EDA is committed to equitably distributing its funding.  In fact, EDA’s top investment priority is ‘Equity’ which speaks to the bureau’s continued commitment to working closely with our nation’s underserved populations and communities.

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

The USPTO in the Department of Commerce is also a critical lifeline to entrepreneurs and helps to increase innovation around our country. New companies that apply for and receive a patent generate almost 80% more revenue and hire 36% more workers after five years than those that don’t have a patent, according to the National Bureau of Economics. In that spirit, the United States Patent and Trademark Office offers a myriad of events and intellectual property training programs for aspiring and current entrepreneurs, wherever they may be in their innovation journeys.

“There are resources throughout the U.S. Government to guide young women into STEM subjects, and to discover the wonders of innovation, such as this summer’s Camp Invention [through the National Inventors Hall of Fame], and programs the USPTO runs nationwide that simplify the process of obtaining patents and trademarks,” - Secretary Raimondo remarked at the Women Entrepreneurship Symposium in March. “The Patent and Trademark Office’s SUCCESS Act study last year — that found only 12.8 percent of all patents were granted to women — should serve as a wakeup call to all of us.”

The Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act (SUCCESS Act) also established a national council to assist the agency in developing national strategy for promoting and increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the innovation ecosphere. The recently renamed Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI²), chaired by Secretary Raimondo, fosters innovation, competitiveness and economic growth by increasing involvement of underrepresented groups as investors-patentees, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders.

The USPTO’s recently redesigned Expanding Innovation page also provides a useful toolkit for entrepreneurs looking to learn more about resources available to them, including information “de-mystifying” the patent system and ways to protect their business’ valued intellectual property.

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency ,the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises, also plays a critical role in assisting our nation’s entrepreneurs And now, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Minority Business Development Agency is a permanently authorized agency, allowing them to increase their programs and outreach to the Nation’s more than 9 million minority-owned businesses.

Entrepreneurs can tap into dozens of MBDA’s business centers across the U.S. These centers assist in securing capital, competing for contracts, identifying a strategic partner and becoming export-ready. The Centers are located in areas with the largest concentration of minority populations and the largest number of minority businesses.

Census Bureau

To boost startups, entrepreneurs need to understand their customer base. The Census Bureau provides the most up to date information on our nation’s people and economy. Specifically, entrepreneurs can access Census Business Builder (CBB), which provides a suite of services offering selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau specifically for business owners. Their Small Business Edition tool is especially useful for small business owners who rely on key data for their business plans or to better understand their potential market.

In Closing

This entrepreneurship month, and every month, the Department of Commerce is committed to expanding opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, no matter their background or geographical location. The linkage between business and innovation in this country is what gives our country its competitive edge. Through Bureau programs and other initiatives across the Department, we will help to rebuild of our economy better than it was before this pandemic, with an eye towards equity and further growth in industries both inside and outside of historic industry centers.

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Photo of a diverse group of entrepreneurs

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Photo of a diverse group of entrepreneurs

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A Communique on the G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial

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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) estimates that the global sale of counterfeit goods is above $2 trillion. The damage they cause goes well beyond economic repercussions for honest businesses and consumers – counterfeits are cause for serious safety concerns. This is especially important as retailers and their customers are in the midst of the holiday shopping season. Keep reading to learn why counterfeits are so dangerous, what you can do to spot fake products, and what other resources are available to protect consumers this holiday season, and all year round.

The dangers of counterfeits

Counterfeiting is more than a dollar and cents issue – fake products cause real harm in the form of more than 70 deaths and 350,000 serious injuries every year. Whether you mistakenly purchase knockoff electronics that catch fire or foods and perfumes made with poisonous, unregulated substances, buying a counterfeit product means taking a gamble on your safety. Unfortunately, these days, it’s not always easy to determine if you’re getting the real thing.

Shopping online is increasingly global, and you don’t physically see what you’ve bought until it arrives on your doorstep, making spotting fakes incredibly difficult. Many third-party websites knowingly list these counterfeit items as genuine products, often at what seems to be a great price. Worse, these scams are growing increasingly sophisticated. One study found that 26% percent of U.S. consumers had unwittingly bought at least one counterfeit product in 2019 alone.

In addition, international organized criminals are turning to counterfeiting to fund their other illegal activities like gun and gang violence, child labor, and human trafficking. The more informed you are  on identifying counterfeits, the less likely you are to support these criminals or get hurt by fake goods.

Getting the word out

Go for Real campaign

The USPTO is working with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to provide a number of helpful resources and tips to help consumers spot fake products. Since 2019, the “Go for Real” campaign has educated consumers, specifically younger buyers and their parents, about the serious dangers of buying counterfeits. This year, the campaign features ads that are being rolled out to more than 2,100 television stations, social media, electronic billboards, online gaming, radio and music services. Learn more in the joint press release from the USPTO and NCPC.

Think you can spot a fake? Test your knowledge in the Go for Real Challenge.

STOP FAKES campaign

Another important resource is STOPfakes.gov, a one-stop-shop for U.S. government tools and resources on intellectual property rights. The website includes resources on how to spot and report fakes, consumer and businesses guides, as well as upcoming events and training.

Shop smart

How can you stay safe and ensure you’re getting the real thing this holiday season? It starts with shopping smart.

Remember the 4 Ps:

Place: Are you buying from a trusted source, either online or at a physical store?

Price: If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Packaging: Does the packaging look “off,” e.g. graphics and printing blurred, colors imbalanced, labels not on straight, misspellings?

Product: Does the product or labeling have a quality look? Does it look comparable to what you’ve purchased before?

Protect yourself when shopping online with these tips, from the Go for Real Dupe Detector Kit:

Before browsing online, make sure your computer's security software is up to date.

Consider alternate payment methods to your personal bankcards, such as prepaid gift cards or disposable debit cards.

Be wary of pop-up and banner ads when shopping online. Many contain false information that may lead you to a malicious site.

Make sure that any site prompting you to enter financial information begins with “HTTPS://”. The "s" stands for "secure" and is accompanied by a locked padlock symbol.

Don't use the same password for all your purchase sites.

Avoid shopping while on public Wi-Fi and from public computers. If prompted, never save your account information (credit card, password, etc.) to a computer that is not yours.

Counterfeiting affects our daily lives, threatens our health and safety, and negatively impacts U.S. jobs and the overall economy. Remember these tips, and if you think you've been duped into buying a counterfeit, report it to help others shop smart and stay safe this holiday season and beyond.

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CHARIoT Challenge Combines Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things for First Responders 

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First responders need to make fast decisions based on the best information they have available. Police, fire, and EMS crews usually rely on radio communication channels along with dispatch and eyewitness reports for that information. But this is the Internet Age. As data from the Internet of Things devices become more prevalent, public safety could use that data to save more lives.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the myriad of data-gathering, internet-connected sensors, from smartwatches and thermostats to entire smart city systems. In an emergency, data from these devices could tell first responders the location of an individual in distress or traffic disruptions on the route to a medical emergency.

Integrating relevant IoT sensor data into first responders’ daily operations could be hugely beneficial. With access to the right information in the right way, first responders could deploy their resources more effectively, decreasing the time it takes to make lifesaving decisions during an emergency.

Unfortunately, even if first responders had access to these IoT data streams today, tools specific to public safety needs that could be used to visualize this data, like augmented reality (AR), do not exist. Most AR interfaces have not been designed with a first responder in mind, and the hardware is not made for the rough and rugged environments they face.

That is why NIST implemented the CHARIoT Challenge, which aimed to advance first responder communications by testing how to present IoT data without overloading the user or hindering their job performance.

CHARIoT: Integrating IoT Data Streams With AR Interfaces

CHARIoT’s mission was to design AR interfaces that would leverage IoT-based sensor streams for first responders. Competitors could engage in one of two tracks: IoT solutions or intuitive AR interfaces. The CHARIoT Challenge launched in March 2020 as a four-phase, dual-track prize challenge competition that offered up to $1.1 million in cash prizes.

The aim of the IoT track was to support first responders’ situational awareness by providing environmental information and data not currently available to them. In the competition, innovators emulated smart city data for emergency scenarios and developed IoT data sets that provided first responders access to smart building and smart city data streams.

The second track built AR interfaces for public safety, in which developers conveyed actionable information to incident command without distractions or cognitive overload. Solutions were designed to keep the first responder user at the forefront of technological development, focusing on the challenges of the public safety use case. Each AR contestant was required to partner with a public safety representative or organization to ensure that the interfaces were designed with and for first responders.

This AR interface shows the overlay of what a first responder would see, including alerts, objectives, and a walking path in the desired direction.

Contestants designed solutions around four emergency scenarios: an active shooter, flooding, a mass transit accident, and a wildfire, and for two different public safety perspectives: an incident commander and a boots-on-the-ground first responder. The purpose of designing around these scenarios was to provide real-world context for situations that are not accounted for in commercial products.

The final CHARIoT event took place in September 2021. Eleven AR finalists submitted 35 prototypes for final evaluation, enabling the challenge judges and subject matter experts to assess the usability of each interface in terms of how well it supported the public safety tasks and scenarios. Two IoT finalists’ emulated data was incorporated in the challenge data set and then visualized by the final AR teams when designing their interfaces.

What made the finalists’ designs successful was a balance between function and streamlining the necessary data. Tomorrow’s post will dive into how the winners struck that balance.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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This AR interface shows the overlay of what a first responder would see, including alerts, objectives, and a walking path in the desired direction.

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CHARIoT Challenge Winners’ Solutions Strike Balance Between Function and Data

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Firefighters, police officers, and other public safety workers could use data from multiple internet-connected devices to save lives. However, most off-the-shelf technology doesn’t work for public safety users.

Imagine firefighters crawling on their hands and knees through a smoky environment; they can’t tactilely handle — let alone see — a smartphone to access maps or building data or receive notifications that might otherwise inform and aid in their mission. Additionally, too many notifications would distract the first responder. That’s why NIST’s CHARIoT Challenge focused on developing a unified interface that could display information without impeding a public safety user’s mission.

Successful prototypes in the CHARIoT Challenge found the right balance of information to present on the AR interface. For the IoT track, there were two final winners:

Team FRITES: 1st place, $25,000 Prize

Team SmartIoT: 2nd place, $12,500 Prize

Team FRITES’ data transmitter, the Emergency Scenario and IoT Sensor Simulator (ESI-SSim, pronounced “Easy Sim”), is an easy-to-use tool that provides streams of data to first responders, AR development teams, and IoT sensor researchers. The device was constructed using a low-cost single-board computer with an integrated touch-screen display.

Team SmartIoT created a data appliance to transmit several data streams in multiple protocols (MQTT, HTTP, HTTPS) in multiple formats (JSON, XML) to multiple network clients using small single-board computers with the ability to transmit at different intervals. Additionally, simulated data and real data from sensors could be transmitted using the same device. The device analyzes, transforms, and supplements data streams on the fly using artificial intelligence and other techniques in a scalable and pluggable architecture.

There were seven winners for the AR interfaces track:

Team JANUS Research Group: 1st place (Tied), $25,000 Prize

Team North Star Simulations: 1st place (Tied), $25,000 Prize

Team BadVR: 3rd place, $15,000 Prize

Team Emergency Response Information System (ERIS) — ARCortex: 4th place, $10,000 Prize

Team NextGen Interactions: 5th place, $7,500 Prize

Screen Door Laboratories: Most Creative Method of Interaction With AR Prototype — Eye Tracking/Eye Gaze, $5,000 prize

Reality Garage: Most Creative Method of Interaction With AR Prototype — Hand Gesture, $5,000 prize

Team JANUS’s solution set out to enable end-users to intuitively interact with and manipulate the virtual objects through its Incident Response Augmentation Headset (IRAH) platform. The team took a user-centered design approach for each of the four scenarios, first taking a rough sketch, transforming it to a mock-up, and then collaborating directly with subject matter experts at the Western Fire Chiefs Association. As a result, it was able to integrate public safety partner input and guidance to shape its designs and ensure interfaces best meet the needs of first responders.

Team North Star Simulations’ Incident Command Simulation Platform (ICSP) focused only on the active-shooter scenario, which it developed and designed in conformance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards published by FEMA. It focused on the training aspect of the disaster and emergency scenario-based simulations as a storytelling tool to empower incident commanders to streamline their operations.

BadVR’s solution is a multi-user, holographic command-and-control operations center. Designed for first responders and public safety officers, the platform brings together multi-domain information into one intuitive, holistic environment, improving decision-making time and accuracy.

ARCortex’s Emergency Response Information System (ERIS) is a multi-user AR platform that leverages real-time data from external interfaced sources and user input to display relevant information, using iconography to annotate the natural world. The system communicates real-time information visually, quickly and efficiently to first responders in the field.

RespondAR from NextGen Interactions is a prototype AR interface that demonstrates how emerging technologies might be utilized by first responders in the future. Focusing on the mass transit accident scenario, its overarching goal was to make an intuitive interface that provides IoT data to first responders. For incident command, it provided an overview of the map and corresponding data with the ability to look at data in detail as needed. For the heads-up display, it provided only the most relevant information so as to not overwhelm first responders.

Additional information about all the final CHARIoT Challenge winners and the prizes they won can be found here.

What’s Next

The prototypes developed through the CHARIoT Challenge can make a substantial impact on public safety organizations. However, the work is not over yet. Several of the CHARIoT winners shared their plans to continue and advance their efforts for first responders. As part of NIST’s commitment to ensuring that products get into the hands of first responders, NIST currently offers two commercialization programs for innovators: the PULSE Accelerator and a funding opportunity for technical and business assistance (TABA) or a demonstration project with public safety.

To address the lack of public safety data sets available for researchers, developers, and innovators, NIST and the two IoT finalists have open-sourced the emulated IoT data sets for the four emergency scenarios from the CHARIoT Challenge. The data demonstrates situational awareness information that would be provided to a first responder or an incident commander. To access the NIST IoT Data Emergency Scenarios data repository, please visit NIST’s Github.

NIST is also continuing to support these research paths by funding external collaborators’ efforts in augmented reality and advanced user interfaces. Under NIST’s PSIAP-Augmented Reality cooperative agreement, award recipients are working on objectives related to human factors assessments, improved gestures for interactions, drone interactions, and more. Additional projects like this will help fuel the integration of emerging technology into public safety organizations’ daily operations.

Those who are interested in applying for research funding related to the public safety technology marketplace should consider submitting an application to the PSIAP-2022 funding opportunity by Jan. 18, 2022. To stay up to date on NIST’s PSCR Division and future prize challenges, be sure to subscribe to the PSCR newsletter.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Santos Sworn In as New Census Bureau Director

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Robert Santos was sworn in today as the U.S. Census Bureau’s 26th director, becoming the first Latino person to serve in the role. This appointment follows the U.S. Senate confirmation Nov. 4, 2021, with Santos’ term set to last for five years.

“Mr. Santos is a tremendous leader and I have full confidence that he will lead the Census Bureau with integrity in the years ahead,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “The Census Bureau is an invaluable asset to our government and the American people, providing essential data for businesses, government leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions. I look forward to working with Mr. Santos and congratulate him on his appointment.”

Santos’ career spans more than 40 years in survey research, statistical design and analysis, and executive-level management. He specializes in quantitative and qualitative research design, including program evaluation, needs assessments, survey methodology and survey operations. He also has expertise in demographic and administrative data, decennial censuses, social policy research and equity issues in research.

“I’m deeply honored and humbled to lead the federal government’s largest statistical agency,” Santos said. “I’ve spent the majority of my career with organizations dedicated to delivering credible and informative statistical analysis for the public good. Census Bureau data have been essential to that work. It is such an immense privilege to join the Census Bureau and its very talented team.”

Santos previously served for 15 years as vice president and chief methodologist at the Urban Institute and directed its Statistical Methods Group. He was executive vice president and partner of NuStats, a social science research firm in Austin, Texas.

Santos has held leadership positions in the nation’s top survey research organizations, including the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, where he served as vice president of statistics and methodology and director of survey operations; the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, as director of survey operations; and Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research, as senior study director and sampling statistician.

Additionally, Santos served as the 2021 president of the American Statistical Association (ASA) and is an ASA Fellow and recipient of the ASA Founder’s Award in 2006. He was the 2014 president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and received the 2021 AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement. Santos is also an elected member to the International Statistical Institute, and he served from 2017 to 2020 as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was a longtime member of the editorial board of Public Opinion Quarterly.

Santos was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He earned a B.A. in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio and an M.A. in statistics from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Please click here to view this announcement in Spanish.

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Robert Santos was sworn in today by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as the U.S. Census Bureau’s 26th director, becoming the first Latino person to serve in the role. 

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Robert Santos was sworn in today by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as the U.S. Census Bureau’s 26th director, becoming the first Latino person to serve in the role. 

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Five Ways NOAA Helped Make America Climate-Ready in 2021

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The following is a cross-post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Record-setting summer heat baked the typically cooler Pacific Northwest.

The third busiest hurricane season on record sent eight storms barreling into the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Devastating, record-setting tornadoes brought hundreds of miles of destruction across eight states in December.

Tropical downpours flooded New York City, and a February snowstorm crippled Texas and the South.

These are just some of the 18 weather and climate-driven billion-dollar disasters we’ve seen in 2021 so far. As extreme weather goes, this year was one for the record books. Climate change is here, and NOAA is playing a key role in tackling the climate crisis.

Here are 5 ways we’ve helped make America climate-ready, responsive and resilient this year:

1. We put climate information into your hands

A major upgrade to NOAA’s climate.gov made our climate data, graphics, education materials and tools more accessible and easier to locate for millions of users.

We also released a new interactive online tool that helps users determine a county’s risk for, and vulnerability to costly weather and climate disasters such as wildfires, drought, tornado outbreaks and hurricanes.

2. We improved weather forecasts to protect lives and livelihoods

Precision matters: Preliminary results show that NOAA’s National Hurricane Center’s hurricane forecasts this year were 10-20 miles closer to the actual track of the storm two to four days prior to landfall, compared to track forecasts from the previous five years.

Our investments in forecasting capability and improved weather and climate models will continue to pay dividends as more Americans face risks from extreme weather and climate hazards like floods, wildfires, drought and hurricanes.

3. We moved America closer to meeting its clean energy goals

NOAA worked closely with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to coordinate the siting and permitting of offshore wind projects that support the Administration’s clean energy goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, including a comprehensive interagency approach to reduce negative impacts of offshore energy development on fisheries surveys.

We also signed a data sharing agreement with the wind energy developer Ørsted to better understand the physical and biological characteristics of the ocean where offshore wind projects occur.

4. We protected climate-vulnerable maritime wonders for future generations

Designated in June, the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary protects 962 square miles of Lake Michigan known for 36 historically significant shipwrecks. The sanctuary designation supports research, education and outreach, and will foster tourism and recreation in the region while preserving important cultural heritage and natural resources.

In November, NOAA took the first steps toward designating a new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, a 7,000 square mile area off the central California coast that would protect the area’s rich biodiversity, maritime heritage, and tribal history, while creating new opportunities for research and economic development.

5. We advanced equitable access to climate services

Vulnerable populations face unique threats from a changing climate. NOAA held a series of eight Climate and Equity roundtables across the country — from Alaska to Louisiana — to listen and learn how the agency can better serve vulnerable communities when it comes to specific regional climate hazards. In 2022, NOAA is taking action on the feedback received at these roundtables.

NOAA’s work to provide data, information and solutions to address the climate crisis doesn’t end here.

WATCH: Learn more about how NOAA is meeting the moment today and beyond.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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A collage of typical climate and weather-related events: floods, heatwaves, drought, hurricanes, wildfires and loss of glacial ice. (NOAA)

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A collage of typical climate and weather-related events: floods, heatwaves, drought, hurricanes, wildfires and loss of glacial ice. (NOAA)

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Trade Deficit with Mexico and Japan Continues to Grow at Unsustainable Rate

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The following is a cross-post from the U.S. Census Bureau

As our nation prepares to ring in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the United States population will be 332,403,650 on Jan. 1, 2022.

This represents a 0.21% increase in population or an additional 706,899 people since New Year’s Day 2021.

Population increased 0.29% since Census Day, April 1, 2020, adding 954,369 people during that period.

In January 2022, the United States is expected to experience a birth every nine seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 130 seconds.

The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 40 seconds.

The projected world population on Jan. 1, 2022 is 7,868,872,451, an increase of 74,235,487, or 0.95%, from New Year’s Day 2021.

During January 2022, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths are expected worldwide every second.

Please click here to read more including the Census Bureau’s Population Clock which displays simulated real-time growth of the U.S. and world populations.

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U.S. Census Bureau Graphic on U.S. and World Population on New Year's Day

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U.S. Census Bureau Graphic on U.S. and World Population on New Year's Day

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Year in Review: Commerce's Top 21 Stories of 2021

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As we welcome 2022, we reflect on some of the most popular stories and issues from the past year. Last year, the 40th Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo outlined how the Commerce Department contributes to President Biden's Build Back Better agenda. "Our strategy is designed to achieve an overarching goal: to improve America’s economic competitiveness so that our workers and our companies succeed in the global economy," said Secretary Raimondo at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

Secretary Raimondo emphasized the importance of prioritizing investments in our people, our infrastructure, our technology, and our supply chains. The Department of Commerce continues to work every day to promote job creation and economic growth by ensuring fair and secure trade, providing the data necessary to support commerce, and fostering innovation by setting standards and conducting foundational research and development.

In honor of the Year 2021, we have compiled a list of the top 21 blogs which generated the most attention and encompassed our mission to create conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all Americans:

1. U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Statistics on Nation’s African American Population in Honor of Black History Month

2. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo Joins President Biden at U.S.-EU Summit and Advances Tech and Trade Issues with European Union and Private Sector Leaders

3. Celebrate the Power of Travel during National Travel and Tourism Week 2021

4. Happy Earth Day – 2021 Commerce Department Earth Day Photo Challenge

5. Twenty-Five Years Later: Commerce Continues to Honor the Lives of Secretary Brown and Eleven Commerce Employees

6. Swearing-In and Message from the 40th Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo

7. U.S. Census Bureau to Release First Look at Nation's Demographic Characteristics from 2020 Census

8. 2020 Census Statistics Highlight Local Population Changes and Nation’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity

9. Women-Owned Business Ownership in America on the Rise

10.  NOAA Finalizes Strategy to Enhance Growth of American Blue Economy

11.  Learn More and Apply Now: Communities Across Nation Can Apply for $3   Billion in Funding from President’s American Rescue Plan

12.  Showcasing Women in STEM at Commerce’s NIST

13. Deputy Secretary Don Graves: Juneteenth: My Story and Black America’s Ongoing Pursuit Toward Progress

14.  20 Years Later: NIST’s World Trade Center Investigation and Its Legacy

15.  Honoring First Responders on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11

16.  Deputy Secretary Don Graves Praises Commerce’s USPTO for Their Critical Work in Promoting American Competitiveness, Innovation, and Ingenuity

17.  U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Addresses Clean Energy Economy and Importance of Business and Academia in Fight for Climate Change

18.  NTIA Announces Tribal Consultations on New Program to Increase Broadband Access Across Indian Country

19.  Making a Place for Women in Manufacturing

20.  Secretary Raimondo Joins Vice President Kamala Harris in Addressing Care Economy and Need to Invest in Human Infrastructure

21.  Unequally Essential: Women and the Gender Pay Gap During COVID-19

Subscribe to our blog newsletter to stay on top the latest information that's helping the American economy grow.

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U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determinations on Biodiesel From Argentina and Indonesia

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New Commerce Initiatives for a Climate Ready Nation

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Here at the Department of Commerce, we know that fighting climate change isn’t just good for the environment; it’s good for the economy. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Commerce Department is leveraging every tool we have to create economic opportunity in the clean energy economy.

Alongside six other agencies, we are announcing clean energy projects that demonstrate the Administration’s commitment to a climate-ready nation.

Today, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced an interagency agreement to collaboratively advance offshore wind energy while protecting biodiversity and promoting cooperative ocean use. This partnership underscores NOAA and BOEM’s commitment to leverage their resources and expertise to responsibly deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 in a way that protects environmental quality, creates jobs, and advances environmental justice.

Additionally, Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently announced the finalists for Phase 1 of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which uses American Rescue Plan funds to support regional industry clusters that will promote equitable economic growth and workforce development. The finalists include 14 regional coalitions focused on clean energy and other climate-related industries, which will receive a combined $7 million in planning grants and compete to win awards of $25 million to $100 million for implementation.

Among these finalists are projects to reuse abandoned mine lands for solar, wind, and geothermal energy generation; utilize offshore wind as a power source for hydrogen production in industrial areas; and support clean energy job training, entrepreneurship, and innovation in areas historically dependent on fossil fuel economies.

Under President Biden’s leadership, we will continue to coordinate with our federal and business partners in supporting clean energy and creating good-paying jobs along the way. See the full set of announcements from the White House in this Fact Sheet.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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New Commerce Initiatives for a Climate Ready Nation

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New Commerce Initiatives for a Climate Ready Nation

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Women-Owned Businesses in the 21st Century

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Deputy Secretary Graves Commemorates Dr. King’s Birthday at Digital Equity Roundtable with HBCU Presidents

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To commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., U.S.  Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joined Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents and representatives at a roundtable to discuss digital equity on Saturday, January 15, in Baltimore, MD. The roundtable focused on closing the digital divide as a part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion dollars to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas.

“Equity has been a day one priority for this Administration and underpins everything we do at the Commerce Department. A central part of these efforts is achieving digital equity by closing the digital divide,” said Deputy Secretary Graves. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we move closer to that ambitious goal by ensuring that every American has access to affordable, high-speed internet. Doing so ensures that we can not only better compete on the world stage, but also ‘make good on the promise of our democracy’ as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prescribed.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law builds upon the work already being carried out by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through its Connecting Minority Communities Program and its Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, as well as various tribal broadband grants being deployed throughout the Department.

HBCU roundtable representatives included Bowie State University Vice President of Information Technology, Maurice Taylor; Coppin State University President, Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.; Morgan State University President, Dr. David Kwabena Wilson; and University of Maryland Eastern Shore Director of Government Relations, Jim Mathias. The group applauded the Administration’s commitment to digital equity and spoke about the challenges their institutions and communities face due to the digital divide. U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also expressed their commitment to digital inclusion and equity and vowed to continue to work with the Administration to further these efforts throughout Maryland.

Following the digital equity roundtable, Deputy Secretary Graves, along with Representative John Sarbanes and Senators Van Hollen and Cardin, participated in a second roundtable at the Maryland Innovation Center with the Howard County Economic Development Authority, which is currently working on a cybersecurity workforce development project as a finalist EDA’s “Build Back Better Challenge.” The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBRC) is the marquee of EDA’s American Rescue Plan programs that aims to boost economic recovery from the pandemic and rebuild American communities, including those grappling with decades of disinvestment.

Participants at this roundtable highlighted the increasing need for a cybersecurity workforce in Maryland and the pipeline they aim to build, which they hope will remove barriers to access to this critical field, among others, and to create a more diverse field overall.

“The Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge has made geographic diversity and equity a top priority,” said Graves. “These investments, made available by EDA through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, will not only spur regional economic development in these communities– but will also create the economic infrastructure and ecosystem our country needs to ensure its global competitiveness and create jobs of the future.”

The Department of Commerce notes that the Deputy Secretary is not a part of the competitive merit review process that will take place related to the BBBRC.

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U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at podium with U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Mayor Brandon Scott in Baltimore, Maryland.

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U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves at podium with U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Mayor Brandon Scott in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Statement from the Department of Commerce on the President’s America First Budget Blueprint

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Results from Semiconductor Supply Chain Request for Information

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OVERVIEW

Over the past year, the Biden Administration has worked with the private sector to understand and address the global shortage of semiconductors. These computer chips are essential building blocks for an increasing number of products, from your cell phone and your car to other critical goods such as medical devices.

The semiconductor shortage has been described as due to a “perfect storm” of factors.  Prior to 2020, there were already difficulties in obtaining inputs for production, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment used to make older varieties of chips, and components used in electronic assembly such as diodes, capacitors, and substrates. There was also an underlying growth in demand for chips as industries shifted to more semiconductor-intensive products (e.g., electric vehicles, 5G). The pandemic exacerbated these trends by dramatically increasing demand for products that require semiconductors of all types. Simultaneously, supply was disrupted by a series of black swan events such as factory fires, winter storms, energy shortages, and COVID-19-related shutdowns.

The private sector is best positioned to address the near-term challenge posed by the current shortage, via increased production, supply chain management to minimize disruption, and product design to optimize the use of semiconductors. However, given the importance of semiconductors to U.S. economic security, the Biden Administration is doing everything in its power to facilitate solutions and overcome the heightened coordination challenges that arise at moments of tail risk.

Since last Spring, the Administration has hosted semiconductor industry convenings to spur collaboration, created the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to facilitate a whole of government approach to the problem, and launched an early alert system to monitor production disruptions in the semiconductor industry.

The Administration has worked with industry players to improve supply chain transparency and establish long-term partnerships. These steps have helped ease the immediate crisis that caused automakers, among other industries, to shut-down production and furlough workers.

But the semiconductor supply chain remains fragile. Demand continues to far outstrip supply.

In September, the Department of Commerce launched a Request for Information (or “RFI”) on the semiconductor supply chain that gave new insight into the complex and global semiconductor supply chain. The Department received more than 150 responses, including from nearly every major semiconductor producer and from companies in multiple consuming industries.

Some key findings include:

Median demand for chips highlighted by buyers was as much as 17% higher in 2021 than 2019, and buyers aren’t seeing commensurate increases in the supply they receive. This is a major supply and demand mismatch.

The median inventory of semiconductor products highlighted by buyers has fallen from 40 days in 2019 to less than 5 days in 2021 (see Figure 2). These inventories are even smaller in key industries.

The RFI allowed us to pinpoint specific nodes where the supply and demand mismatch is most acute, and we will target our efforts moving forward on collaborating with industry to resolve bottlenecks in these nodes.

The primary bottleneck across the board appears to be wafer production capacity, which requires a longer-term solution.

We’re going to capitalize on this new information to engage industry on node-specific problem-solving in the coming weeks. We will also look into claims about unusually high prices in these nodes.

The RFI results make it clear: America needs to produce more semiconductors. Congress must pass funding for domestic semiconductor production, such as the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, to solve our supply challenges for the long term.

PROGRESS SINCE EARLY 2021

Utilization: Since the semiconductor shortage started in 2020, semiconductor companies have significantly increased the utilization of their existing capacity. Specifically, from Q2 of 2020 through 2021, semiconductor fabs operated at over 90% utilization, which is incredibly high for a production process that requires regular maintenance and very high amounts of energy (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 – Semiconductor production utilization has been well above typical levels since the beginning of the semiconductor shortage. Source: Semiconductor Industry Association’s 2021 State of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Report.[1]

Investment: Semiconductor companies have put more money, quicker than ever before, into expanding their capacity. In its 2021 report, the Semiconductor Industry Association forecasted semiconductor industry capital expenditure (capex) would reach close to $150 billion in 2021 and over $150 billion in 2022. For comparison, prior to 2021, the industry never spent more than $115 billion on annual capex.[2] These numbers reflect recent announcements, like the ones for a new Intel semiconductor facility in Ohio and news from Global Foundries, which includes plans for a new fab in New York. It is important to note these investments will take time to translate into increased production. Some investments previously announced are expected to come online as early as the second half of 2022.

New supply chain partnerships: Semiconductor producers are partnering with semiconductor customers in new and creative ways like never before. Following a White House-led industry convening, Ford and Global Foundries recently announced a partnership to identify ways they can work together to innovate on future chips and meet future demand for vehicles. In November, GM announced a similar partnership with seven different semiconductor producers. These announcements demonstrate chip consumers and producers are coming together to find creative solutions for supply chain issues.

COVID-19 monitoring: COVID-19-related disruptions to semiconductor production were prevalent in 2021. That’s why the U.S. Government set up the Early Alert System for COVID-19-related shutdowns to microelectronics manufacturing around the world. That system is built on three pillars: early detection, enhanced engagement, and transparency. The Department of Commerce, State Department, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to work closely to proactively monitor key manufacturing facilities flagged through that system and work with allies and partners to implement safety protocols that help limit the spread of the virus and minimize disruption to their people and global supply chains. In the end, vaccination is the best way to minimize pandemic-related disruptions, which is why the Administration is leading the effort to vaccinate the world, committing to share 1.2 billion doses of safe, effective vaccines. To date, the United States has shipped over 385 million doses to 112 countries.

What we learned from the RFI

The RFI confirmed that there is a significant, persistent mismatch in supply and demand for chips, and respondents did not see the problem going away in the next six months. Median demand for the chips highlighted by the buyers who responded to the RFI was as much as 17% higher in 2021 than in 2019, and buyers aren’t seeing commensurate increases in the supply they receive.

The main bottleneck identified is the need for additional fab capacity. In addition, companies identified material and assembly, test, and packaging capacity as bottlenecks.

For the semiconductor products that present the greatest challenge to acquire, the median inventory for consumers who responded to the RFI has fallen from 40 days in 2019 to less than 5 days in 2021 (see Figure 2). These inventories are even smaller in key industries. This means a disruption overseas, which might shut down a semiconductor plant for 2-3 weeks, has the potential to disable a manufacturing facility and furlough workers in the United States if that facility only has 3-5 days of inventory.

Figure 2 – Median consumer inventories of semiconductor products that present the greatest challenge to acquire, for chip consumers that responded to the RFI. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Responses to Request for Public Comments on Risks in the Semiconductor Supply chain, released September 2021.

Respondents also shared their qualitative perspectives on the semiconductor shortage from 2019 through 2021 and on what they anticipated for the shortage in early 2022. Two of the biggest themes were that semiconductor demand has been higher than originally forecasted and that external factors, particularly COVID-19-related shutdowns of production, caused significant issues.

Zeroing in on the most disruptive chips

In addition to the overarching trends described above, we learned the bottlenecks for the RFI respondents are most concentrated in a few specific kinds of semiconductor inputs and applications, including legacy logic chips (used in medical devices, automobiles, and other products), analog chips (used in power management, image sensors, radio frequency, and other applications), and optoelectronics chips (used in sensors and switches).

It is important to note semiconductors are not all created equal. There are many different types of semiconductors. Some utilize technology just discovered, others utilize technology we’ve had for years and years. A semiconductor “node” identifies the specific design of the semiconductor and the manufacturing processes needed to create it. End products like cars require several different, specific semiconductor nodes. That means it’s helpful to think about semiconductors not as one product with one universal supply chain, but as a collection of many different products, each with their own supply chain that can have a more or less severe supply and demand mismatch. In addition, different end products have different constraints (e.g., constraints on chip design, longer product life cycles).

The specific kinds of products we identified as having significant semiconductor supply and demand mismatches are used by critical industries, including medical devices, broadband, and autos. They include:

Microcontrollers that are primarily made of legacy logic chips, including, for example, at 40, 90, 150, 180, and 250 nm nodes

Analog chips including, for example, at 40, 130, 160, 180, and 800 nm nodes; and

Optoelectronics chips including, for example, at 65, 110, and 180 nm nodes.

Why transparency matters and the role of the RFI

Despite the progress made since early 2021, the semiconductor shortage persists. That’s due in part to the complexity of the semiconductor supply chain (see Figure 3). Producers don’t always have a clear sense of demand, and chip consumers don’t always know where the chips they need originate. These barriers make it harder to develop solutions.

That’s why the U.S. government brought the industry together and encouraged increased transparency throughout the supply chain. As the latest step in that effort, the Department of Commerce launched a semiconductor RFI in September asking for information from both producers and consumers and worked extensively to ensure industry responded to the RFI.

Figure 3 – Illustrative representation of the global and complex nature of semiconductor supply chains. Source: Congressional Research Service report “Semiconductors: U.S. Industry, Global Competition, and Federal Policy;” October 26, 2020.[3]

Responses to the RFI were due in November, and we received more than 150 responses, including from nearly all the major semiconductor producers and from companies in multiple consuming industries. Both the quantity and quality of information we received were high, and Figure 4 gives more detail about the respondents.

Figure 4 – Breakdown of RFI respondents by role in the supply chain and, for semiconductor consumers, by industry. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Responses to Request for Public Comments on Risks in the Semiconductor Supply chain, released September 2021.

Moving forward

We’re going to capitalize on this new information to engage industry on node-specific problem-solving in the coming weeks, and we will continue the Early Alert System to monitor and take action related to pandemic-related disruptions to the supply chain.

In addition, we are engaging with companies that did not respond to the RFI, and those companies whose responses were not as comprehensive as their peers, to ensure we have the most accurate picture of what is driving supply chain bottlenecks. We believe we will get the information we need. We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to increase transparency in the supply chain and ensure companies are not taking advantage of the shortage.

Last, but not least, we will continue to advocate for the President’s proposed $52 billion to enhance domestic semiconductor production included in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. This semiconductor shortage is the result of a significant mismatch in supply and demand, further exacerbated by the pandemic. The number one issue identified in the RFI is insufficient fab capacity, and that’s what the President’s proposal is designed to accelerate.

[1] 2021-SIA-State-of-the-Industry-Report.pdf (semiconductors.org)

[2] 2021-SIA-State-of-the-Industry-Report.pdf (semiconductors.org)

[3] https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46581

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Secretary Raimondo Announces Results of Request for Information on Semiconductor Supply Chain

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Over the past year, Americans have come to understand the important role that semiconductors play in our everyday lives. The COVID pandemic created short supply and high demand across many industries, including semiconductors.

While the private sector still has work to do to sort out their supply chains, we have seen several encouraging announcements on semiconductors:

Last week, Intel announced plans to build what could be the largest semiconductor facility in the world, investing $20 billion and creating more than 10,000 jobs.

I was thrilled to join President Biden at the White House and Governor DeWine in Ohio to announce this investment alongside Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.

Ford and Global Foundries announced a partnership to identify ways to work together to innovate on future chips. This is crucial as electric vehicles require as many as 2,000 semiconductors—dramatically more than vehicles with internal combustion engines.

GM recently announced a similar partnership with 7 different semiconductor producers.

These announcements demonstrate that chip consumers and producers are coming together to solve their supply chain issues. This is great news for auto workers and American consumers.

We are glad that the companies have been looking for creative solutions, because the private sector is best positioned to address bottlenecks.

But the semiconductor supply chain remains fragile and it is essential that Congress move swiftly to pass the President’s proposed $52 billion in chips funding as soon as possible.

While we don’t expect long-term supply chain disruptions because of Omicron, any disruption has ripple effects.

In 2021, auto prices drove one-third of all inflation, primarily because we don’t have enough chips.

Automakers produced nearly 8 million fewer cars last year than expected, which some analysts believe resulted in more than $210 billion in lost revenue.

It is both an economic and national security imperative to solve this crisis.

Last year, the Department of Commerce issued a voluntary Request for Information to help us identify the bottlenecks in the global chips supply chain.

Today, we’re identifying some key findings:

More than 150 companies responded, including nearly all the major semiconductor producers and the major automakers. We are extremely appreciative for their participation.

Demand for chips is incredibly high, running as much as 20% in excess of 2019 demand. Industry expects demand to exceed supply for the next six months.

The vast majority of fabs are running at more than 90% utilization, meaning we need to get more fabs up and running.

The median inventory of chips has fallen from 40 days in 2019 to less than five days. These inventories are even smaller in key industries. That means if a COVID outbreak, a natural disaster, or political instability disrupts a foreign semiconductor facility for even just a few weeks, it has the potential shut down a manufacturing facility in the U.S., putting American workers and their families at risk.

We learned that the bottlenecks are concentrated in a few specific kinds of semiconductor inputs and applications:

Legacy logic chips used in automobiles, medical devices and other products are facing the most acute shortages.

Analog chips used in power management, image sensors, radio frequency and other applications are in extremely high demand and short supply.

The supply of substrates, along with diodes, capacitors and other components that are used along with chips to assemble electronic devices, are all facing significant challenges.

Some firms mentioned unusually high prices for semiconductors sold through brokers. The Department of Commerce is looking into this issue.

We also heard about wafer production capacity, which does not have any apparent short-term solutions.

This is why domestic semiconductor funding is extremely urgent. The House of Representatives is preparing to introduce its version of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), which includes $52 billion in domestic semiconductor funding to help us create long-term solutions. The Senate has already passed its version of the bill with strong bipartisan support.

I have been engaged daily with members on both sides of the aisle to get this done.

Every day we wait is a day we fall further behind. But if we pass this bill and address this problem, we can create good jobs, rebuild American manufacturing, and strengthen our supply chains here at home for decades to come.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Residential Propane Price Analysis 2006 

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NIST Announces Funding Opportunity for Manufacturing Centers in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota

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The following is a cross-post from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)is accepting applications from eligible organizations to operate Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota. NIST will award nearly $19.8 million to support four centers that will provide manufacturing extension services to small and medium-sized manufacturers in these states.

“American manufacturing makes our nation stronger by growing the U.S. economy, safeguarding the health of our citizens and securing our national defense,” said Mojdeh Bahar, NIST associate director for innovation and industry services. “Small and medium-sized manufacturers are the foundation of American manufacturing, and these competitions will serve to strengthen manufacturing and empower manufacturers in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota.”

NIST’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership supports 51 centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Through the program, more than 1,400 manufacturing experts provide hands-on technical expertise and assistance services that address the critical needs of their local manufacturers and strengthen U.S. manufacturing.

NIST plans to award up to the following amounts for centers in each state:

Kentucky: $6,217,500

Nebraska: $3,978,500

Rhode Island: $6,021,500

South Dakota: $3,561,000

Awardees will sign a cooperative agreement for an initial performance period of up to five years and must meet a cost-share requirement.

For every dollar of federal investment in fiscal year 2021, the MEP Centers in these four states generated more than $20.90 in new sales growth and $25.70 in new client investment. This translates into $275 million in new and retained sales. During this same time, for every $1,143 of federal investment, MEP created or retained one manufacturing job.

Eligible applicants are limited to United States-based nonprofit institutions or consortia thereof, institutions of higher education, or state, U.S. territory, local or tribal governments. Existing MEP Centers that have received financial assistance for 10 consecutive years and that the secretary of commerce determines are in good standing are also eligible to apply.

MEP center awards must be recompeted every 10 years for an award of up to 10 years, based on availability of the appropriation of federal funds and the good standing of the applicant. The MEP Centers in these four states are each nearing 10 consecutive years of operation.

NIST MEP will host an informational webinar on this funding opportunity on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, 10 a.m.-noon Eastern Standard Time. There is no registration required, and the webinar may be accessed directly via the BlueJeans videoconferencing platform.

Additional information about this funding opportunity can be found on Grants.gov and the NIST MEP website. NIST MEP held a webinar on Nov. 22, 2021, in anticipation of this and additional funding opportunities. A recording of that earlier webinar is available for viewing.

Applications in response to today’s Notice of Funding Opportunity must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Tuesday, April 26, 2022.

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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NIST Announces Funding Opportunity for Manufacturing Centers in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota

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NIST Announces Funding Opportunity for Manufacturing Centers in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota

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Voices From the Frontlines: FirstNet Provides Flexibility and Interoperability for Emergency Management During Pandemic

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The following is a cross-post from the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)

This blog is a part of the First Responder Network Authority’s #FrontlineVoices series, a collection of stories from first responders serving on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can learn more about FirstNet supporting the pandemic response at firstnet.gov/pandemic.

First responders have worked tirelessly to keep our country safe, and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. For law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and other response groups who are called on to deliver a unified response, their missions largely depend on effective and efficient communication.

As the federal agency charged by Congress to oversee FirstNet(link is external), the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) is working to ensure that FirstNet offers reliable and adaptive mobile broadband solutions to first responders as they continue to be on the frontlines of COVID-19 response.

The pandemic brought on a new set of challenges to delivering public safety services, particularly for emergency managers. Across the country, emergency managers turned to FirstNet’s innovative solutions to support the continuity of operations. Here are a few of their stories.

As the State of Oregon’s Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), William Chapman coordinates interoperability between public safety agencies during emergencies, including fires, winter storms, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. FirstNet has provided the coverage and capacity necessary to maintain full operations at remote emergency operations centers, pop-up hospitals, and vaccination centers. At the same time, during last year’s record-breaking fire season, Chapman relied on communications over FirstNet to help coordinate resources, provide situational awareness, and stay in touch with public safety partners throughout the state.

FirstNet also made it possible to fulfill a fast turn-around request to move emergency operations into a new facility, the State Public Safety Academy, providing continuous communications to make the transition possible and helping Chapman’s team maintain continuous operations. “The first challenge was to identify how to provide cellular service and signals. FirstNet was a big part of that by bringing hotspots and signals into the room to let the public information officers continue to work their missions” he recalled.

The City of Chesapeake, Virginia incorporated FirstNet into their city-wide approach to emergency management during the pandemic. The city based a large part of its response plan on the network’s ability to deliver a comprehensive communication solution. The city’s five police precincts and 15 fire stations relied on FirstNet to communicate during day-to-day operations, incidents, and emergencies, including natural disasters, large events, and most recently, planning logistics surrounding the COVID-19 response.

This city-wide approach to communications proved invaluable to 9-1-1 operations when the pandemic first impacted the community. Chesapeake 9-1-1 call centers stayed operational with FirstNet, directing first responders to emergencies. They were also able to take calls and provide information on testing sites, test results, and other vital services to residents.

Similarly, when Robert Gelormine, a senior planner for the Chesapeake Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management recognized that a successful pandemic response required organizing multi-agency responses throughout the city, he sought out FirstNet to facilitate city-wide interoperable communications. In one instance, FirstNet was on hand when the Metropolitan Medical Response System coordinated a multi-agency response effort to identify, collect, and redistribute essential equipment and supplies to front-line workers. Crews used FirstNet around the clock in every aspect of that response – whether on tablets and mobile devices, or patrolling in emergency response vehicles, FirstNet provided that critical signal.

With 2.8 million connections being used by 18,500 public safety agencies and organizations nationwide, FirstNet continues to expand its mission-critical capabilities so first responders can extend their reach into communities and keep more people safe.

The FirstNet Authority is committed to ensuring that FirstNet will continue to provide first responders with the support they need to fully operationalize their network for the biggest impact. Our team of public safety advisors work hand in hand with first responders across the country to ensure the network is meeting their needs.

We want to hear more #FrontlineVoices! Share your story on how your organization is using FirstNet during the pandemic.

Learn more about how FirstNet is transforming public safety communications — contact your local FirstNet Authority Public Safety Advisor and sign up for our discipline newsletters. Follow us on Twitter(link is external), Facebook(link is external), Instagram(link is external), and LinkedIn(link is external) for the latest FirstNet Authority updates.

For information on FirstNet products and services or to access your subscriber account, visit FirstNet.com(link is external).

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Deputy Secretary Graves Visits Upstate New York Tech Hubs with Senate Majority Leader Schumer to Discuss Importance of Passing CHIPS Funding 

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Today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves and Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer spent the day in Albany and Syracuse, New York, to highlight the importance of domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the United States and the need to pass the U.S. Industries and Competition Act (USICA).

On their trip, Deputy Secretary Graves and Leader Schumer toured technology facilities and potential sites for semiconductor production. They also met with local business leaders and elected officials to discuss the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in creating good-paying jobs and economic opportunities for the region.

“The reason the Commerce Department is so committed to making our supply chains more resilient and revitalizing American manufacturing, is because we know that in too many areas, our country has fallen behind the rest of the world due to complacency and chronic lack of investment,” said Deputy Secretary Graves. “If we are serious about increasing American competitiveness, protecting our economic security, and hitting President Biden’s electric vehicle goals, it is imperative that we reinvest in this critical industry as quickly as possible.”

Deputy Secretary Graves started his trip in Albany, New York, along with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Leader Schumer, to tour a nanotechnology facility on the campus of the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY). Albany’s nanotech facility emphasizes collaboration on nanotechnology and semiconductor research between businesses, government, and universities.

“Passing USICA will inject $52 billion into our economy for domestic semiconductor production, but every day that we do not pass this legislation, we continue to fall behind China and others on the world stage,” said Graves. “Nevertheless, I remain confident that Leader Schumer and his colleagues in Congress will deliver for the American people, as they did with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and send a bill to the President’s desk swiftly.”

Following the Albany Nanotech tour, Deputy Secretary Graves and Leader Schumer met with officials at JMA Wireless, which is one of the very few, if only, U.S.-owned 5G manufacturers in the country. JMA brings high-paying American jobs in manufacturing to Syracuse and the capital region and guides the country’s global leadership in 5G and 6G.

“Leadership in 5G and 6G, is not only good for American businesses and workers, but it sets our country up to compete more effectively on the world stage,” said Graves. “However, JMA Wireless is a rare example of a U.S.-owned 5G manufacturing facility. USICA’s Wireless Innovation Fund would enable the United States to solidify our leadership in 5G and 6G, and support the transition to open and interoperable networks, an area where JMA and other American firms lead.”

Deputy Secretary Graves and Leader Schumer closed out their day with a roundtable discussion with Build Back Better Regional Challenge finalists and local leaders.

The group applauded the Commerce Department and Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) goals to rebuild American communities while addressing equity through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). In December, the CenterState NY Smart Systems coalition won a $500,000 planning grant to develop plans for an unmanned aerial systems cluster in Central New York. With implementation funding, the coalition proposes to prioritize eight interconnected projects that will help create equitable economic growth in the region. If selected as the ultimate winner of the BBBRC, CenterState could be awarded up to $100 million to implement their project.

“It was so wonderful to engage with CenterState’s dedicated coalition and learn more about the work they are doing to develop the regional economy and create good-paying jobs in upstate New York,” noted Graves during Monday’s roundtable. “I want to again congratulate CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity for being selected as a Build Back Better Regional Challenge finalist, and let you know that the Department of Commerce stands ready to provide you with any technical assistance to continue to develop your plan and drive economic recovery and growth in your region.

The Department of Commerce notes that the Deputy Secretary is not a part of the competitive merit review process that will take place related to the BBBRC.

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Deputy Secretary Graves Addresses the Media During a Visit Upstate New York Tech Hubs with Senate Majority Leader Schumer to Discuss Importance of Passing CHIPS Funding 

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Deputy Secretary Graves Addresses the Media During a Visit Upstate New York Tech Hubs with Senate Majority Leader Schumer to Discuss Importance of Passing CHIPS Funding 

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National Black History Month: U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Stats on Nation's Black Population

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The following is a cross-post from the U.S. Census Bureau

To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week (then called “Negro History Week”) nearly a century ago. The event was first celebrated during the second week of February 1926, selected because it coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist/writer Frederick Douglass (February 14). That week would continue to be set aside for the event until 1976 when, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, it was expanded to a month. Since then, U.S. presidents have proclaimed February as National Black History Month.

The following facts are made possible by the invaluable responses to the U.S. Census Bureau’s surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we continuously measure America’s people, places and economy.

Did You Know?

46.9 million

The Black or African American alone or in combination population in the United States in 2020.

89.4%

The percentage of African Americans age 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2020.

30.7%

The percentage of the employed Black population ages 16 and older working in management, business, science and arts occupations in 2019.

134,567

The number of Black-owned employer businesses in the United States in 2019.

3.2 million

The number of Black civilian military veterans in the United States nationwide in 2019.

Fore more key statistics on the Nation's Black population including the projected population, voting rates, and income, poverty and health insurance, please visit the U.S. Census Bureau's Facts for Features: National Black (African American) History Month: February 2022.

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U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Stats on Nation's Black Population

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U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Stats on Nation's Black Population

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U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Softwood Lumber from Canada

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NOAA Satellites Helped Save 330 Lives in 2021

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The following is a cross-post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA’s fleet of advanced satellites are essential for predicting weather and climate, and last year they also helped rescue 330 people from potentially life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters.

Of the 330 U.S. rescues, 195 were water rescues, 29 were from aviation incidents and 106 were from events on land. Alaska had the most SARSAT rescues with 55, followed by Florida with 52 and California with 37.

NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the global Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking system, or COSPAS-SARSAT, which uses a network of U.S. and international spacecraft to detect and locate distress signals sent from emergency beacons from aircraft, boats and handheld Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) anywhere in the world. Since its start in 1982, COSPAS-SARSAT has been credited with supporting more than 48,000 rescues worldwide, including more than 9,700 in the United States and its surrounding waters.

When a NOAA satellite pinpoints the location of a distress signal in the U.S., the information is relayed to the SARSAT Mission Control Center at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland. From there, the information is sent quickly to Rescue Coordination Centers, operated either by the U.S. Air Force for land rescues, or the U.S. Coast Guard for water rescues. NOAA also supports rescues globally by relaying distress signal information to international SARSAT partners.

Among the success stories last year, a miner was rescued from a 20-foot shaft about 30 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona, in the Bradshaw Mountains. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center received the alert from the PLB and contacted the owner, who provided the details of the distress. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deployed a helicopter and emergency medical units to the scene. Rescuers pulled the miner from the shaft and transported him to a Phoenix hospital for treatment of multiple injuries.

“Each rescue shows the SARSAT system works as planned," said Steve Volz, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for its Satellite and Information Service. "Its life-saving ability is built on four decades of teamwork with the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Air Force, NASA and our international partners.”

By law, beacon owners are required to register their devices online with NOAA. The registration information helps provide better and faster assistance to people in distress, and reduces false alarms. It may also provide what type of help is needed.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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A graphic showing 3 categories of satellite-assisted rescues that took place in 2021: Of the 330 lives saved, 195 people were rescued at sea, 29 were rescued from aviation incidents and 106 were rescued from incidents on land. (NOAA)

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A graphic showing 3 categories of satellite-assisted rescues that took place in 2021: Of the 330 lives saved, 195 people were rescued at sea, 29 were rescued from aviation incidents and 106 were rescued from incidents on land. (NOAA)

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National Black History Month: Commerce Home to Black Leaders in STEM Education and Research   

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Black History Month is a time to show appreciation for the achievements of the Black scientists, educators, creators, activists, and others who have contributed to our nation’s greatness and continue to propel this nation forward every day.

From astronomer Benjamin Banneker to NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, Black innovators have made countless discoveries throughout American history that substantially contributed to American ingenuity and research. Black history is American history.

The Commerce Department is home to many leaders in STEM fields whose innovations drive economic growth, create jobs, and help Americans lead better lives. In honor of Black History Month, we have chosen to highlight two outstanding individuals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) who continue to be leaders in advancing research, education, and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

At Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Symone Barkley is a Baltimore-born scientist and educator who has had a wide range of experiences in the marine science field. Symone studied algae, blue crabs, sand tigers, and sandbar sharks over the years while working toward her undergraduate degree and in graduate school. During undergrad at Hampton University, Symone was supported by the NOAA José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions, and while obtaining her master's at Delaware State University, she was a recipient of the John A. Knauss Fellowship in 2016.

Currently, Symone is NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) Exhibits Manager and Education Specialist. In this role, she works to increase public awareness of products and services NOS provides. She supports NOS education efforts, sits on the NOAA Education Council and the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network. Additionally, Symone hosts Ocean Today Every Full Moon, a collection of videos showcasing the beauty and mystery of the ocean realm while exploring various ocean topics. Symone is committed to mentoring students, amplifying the work of women, Black scientists, and educators, and creating authentic and effective systems to recruit and retain traditionally excluded groups in ocean science.

Even with her exciting research experience, Symone’s passion for educating young people about the ocean and the environment remains at the forefront of her priorities. She is proud to support students and teachers through her presence on a number of local and regional environmental education and STEM boards.

Symone is a member of the Environmental Education 30 Under 30 program from the nonprofit North American Association for Environmental Education. With a grant from the program, Symone launched A Peace of Nature, which provides STEM kits for young people, to equip traditionally excluded communities with resources and knowledge to act sustainably in their everyday lives and advocate for sustainable behavior in their communities. The kits provide students with interesting and engaging hands-on learning activities and encourage literacy in young audiences to help address the STEM learning gap and drive diversity in the field.

Meanwhile, at Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), physicist William Ratcliff works to understand new materials that could be critically important for future computers and other devices. A fellow of the American Physical Society, William is a two-time winner of the DOC Bronze Medal.

From his earliest years, William was interested in everything from subatomic particles to galaxies. When he was just seven years old, his pediatrician recognized his interest in astronomy and gave him a membership to an astronomy book club. In middle school, he won a contest from Kraft to attend Space Camp. “It was not like the movie, with kids swimming underwater,” he says. Instead, William learned all about model rocketry and other space science topics. After spending his high-school summers doing science research at the University of Michigan, he entered the university as an undergrad, studying electrical engineering and computer engineering before switching to engineering physics. He conducted research in cosmology and astrophysics throughout college, and also found himself deeply interested in artificial intelligence.

While an undergrad, William took many graduate theoretical physics classes but realized he lacked experience doing physics experiments. The summer before graduate school, professor Sang-Wook Cheong at New Jersey’s Rutgers University (who would eventually become William’s Ph.D. adviser) gave him an opportunity to work with him at Bell Labs to create new materials. William made his first superconductor, a material that conducts electricity without resistance at low temperatures. “It was so exciting to watch the resistance drop to zero!” he recalls, as the material was being cooled down in the lab. As a graduate student at Rutgers, he did basic research on materials known as frustrated magnets, which are now thought to be potentially useful for quantum computers, devices that promise to perform certain tasks exponentially faster than ordinary computers.

After receiving his Ph.D., William joined NIST as an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow. He then became a staff physicist at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, where he aims subatomic particles known as neutrons at materials to understand them better. He has studied materials known as multiferroics, which have properties that might be useful for improved computer memory devices and sensors. He has also explored a class of materials known as topological superconductors, which could potentially be used in quantum computing devices. William has also returned to his old interest in artificial intelligence and is using AI to accelerate the analysis of his experimental data on materials in NIST’s neutron experiments.

William has been involved in multiple efforts “to change the culture of physics to make it more inclusive and welcoming,” he says. He has chaired the American Physical Society (APS) Committee on Minorities in Physics and is a member of the steering committee of the APS Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Alliance. He is also active with the National Society of Black Physicists. He has also mentored more than 30 students through NIST’s internships and fellowships for undergraduates and high school students.

William’s advice for aspiring STEM researchers: “Find problems you’re interested in and work on them. Even if it’s hard, stick with it, and others may follow you. It’s also important to find great collaborators!”

If you are a student who wants to follow in the footsteps of Symone and William, then NOAA, and NIST could be part of your future too!

NOAA’s Office of Education provides educational resources and development opportunities for students ranging from pre-K through post-graduate levels. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for several immersive fellowships, such as the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, that put them at the center of marine science and policy decision-making in Washington DC. NOAA is also dedicated to sharing the latest climate, ocean, weather, and space science with teachers.

NIST has programs for high-school students, undergraduates, and recent graduates; learn more, including eligibility and deadlines, on NIST’s Student Employment page. And if you're a Ph.D. recipient looking for your next opportunity, the NIST NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program that brought William to NIST could be the next stop on your road to a STEM career!

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National Institute of Standards and Technology

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Black Leaders in STEM

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Black Leaders in STEM

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Statement From Secretary Ross And Secretary Mnuchin Following The U.S.-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue

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Black Inventors and Entrepreneurs – Past, Present, and Future 

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Joint blog by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the International Trade Administration

Every February, we celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans. Black History Month reminds us that the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are critical to the success of the Department of Commerce’s mission. It is also an opportunity to spotlight some of the many inspiring stories and successes of Black inventors and Black-owned businesses. Bureaus across the Department of Commerce, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the International Trade Administration (ITA), are committed to the domestic and international success of these innovators, entrepreneurs, and minority-owned businesses, which are so critical to American competitiveness and driving economic growth.

Intellectual property (IP) protection is a key asset to help entrepreneurs raise capital, commercialize their inventions, and provide even more innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. Here are just a few examples of Black inventors and entrepreneurs whose innovation and creativity, and the IP behind it, can be an inspiration to us all and make the world a better place.

With unwavering perseverance, Percy Julian fought against segregation and other challenges to become a leading innovator in synthetic chemistry. His numerous inventions range from the fire retardant Aerofoam to treatments for glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis. He was granted over 130 patents during his lifetime and is a celebrated innovator who broke down barriers for future scientists from underrepresented groups.

Brilliant You Denim is a North Carolina-based business founded by Terry Davis. She is the first Black female denim manufacturer in the U.S. The success of Davis’ business meant overcoming the monumental task of entering and competing in the multi-billion-dollar denim industry. She tackled this challenge by drawing on problem-solving skills developed during her career as an electrical engineer. One of her top priorities was to obtain a design patent for her jeans’ enhancement innovation. The company now holds 11 patents, with several more pending, and has trademarked its brand. She made it a point to set up the company’s manufacturing facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina, because she believed in the vision of rebuilding manufacturing in America. After growing the domestic business, Davis is now working with ITA’s U.S. Export Assistance Center in Raleigh to start exporting her products to Canada and Mexico.

After 13 seasons of playing in the NFL, Shawn Springs founded Windpact, a company based in Leesburg, Virginia, focused on impact protection. He set out with a mission “to be the most advanced impact protection company in the world, to make everyday lives safer” after experiencing the effects of concussions firsthand. That knowledge, combined with the insights gained from a component of an infant car seat, led him to build a company that uses patented Crash Cloud™ technology to protect athletes, soldiers, and automobile passengers from traumatic brain injuries.

Arlyne Simon is a patent-holding inventor and entrepreneur. As a young graduate student at the University of Michigan, she worked on a team that created a technology for a blood test that detects when cancer patients are rejecting a bone marrow transplant. After graduating and earning her Ph.D., she built a successful career as a biomedical engineer. Based on her desire to increase the number of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, Simon was inspired to write a children’s book series featuring a young inventor and has also launched an online program to connect Black middle school girls to mentors in engineering.

Commerce Resources to Help Your Business

From pro bono assistance programs to free training seminars, the USPTO provides resources to inventors and entrepreneurs to help them navigate the process of obtaining a patent or trademark. This month, don’t miss the Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship series on February 17 and February 24. The events will feature a number of special guests including Lanny Smoot, Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer recently featured in the USPTO’s Journeys of Innovation story, “As if by magic.”

If you run a minority-owned enterprise that has never exported or are looking to expand your exports to new markets, ITA is here to help you get started. The online questionnaire can help you assess your company's export readiness. The research center contains data, research, and analysis covering industries and markets around the world. Country commercial guides and a market diversification tool can help you identify potential new markets. ITA can help you tap into new markets and offers in-person and virtual events and services to help you in your export journey.

Also, for U.S. minority-owned companies interested in expanding in Southwestern Europe (Italy, Portugal, and Spain), please consider applying for ITA's executive-level Minority-Business Focused Trade Mission, May 15-21. Over the course of the week, participants will connect with U.S. government leaders and commercial teams working in these markets, network with U.S. companies doing business in this region, and take part in customized one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened prospective buyers, agents, distributors, and joint venture partners.

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Arlyne Simon at the USPTO headquarters in March 2017, when the National Inventors Hall of Fame featured her in a display highlighting the accomplishments of female innovators who are inspiring other women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and

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Arlyne Simon at the USPTO headquarters in March 2017, when the National Inventors Hall of Fame featured her in a display highlighting the accomplishments of female innovators who are inspiring other women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Photo by Jay Premack/USPTO. 

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Frequently Asked Questions: Section 232 Investigations: The Effect of Steel Imports on the National Security

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FirstNet at 10: A Decade of Dedication to Public Safety 

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By Edward Parkinson, CEO, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)

Broadband has become the lifeblood of our economy. It is also essential to our national security and public safety, a fact that first responders recognized many years ago. The tragedies of September 11th revealed fundamental problems with the communication systems used by our nation’s first responders. They needed a more advanced telecommunications infrastructure for their lifesaving mission, a reliable one to help them communicate and share information during emergencies and daily operations.

In the years following the terrorist attacks, public safety from across all disciplines, including 9-1-1, EMS, fire service and law enforcement, joined together to advocate for their own high-speed broadband network. In 2012, Congress enacted a law to create the First Responder Network Authority within the Department of Commerce to ensure the building, deployment and operation of FirstNet, America’s only nationwide public safety broadband network.

On February 22, we mark the 10th anniversary of that milestone legislation that launched our organization and the mission we are on today.

FirstNet is for public safety, by public safety

From the very beginning, the FirstNet Authority developed the network in lockstep with the public safety community. Public safety advocated for the network and collaborated with us to make FirstNet a reality. Today, FirstNet serves as public safety’s broadband network in all 50 states, 5 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. As of December 2021, more than 19,500 public safety agencies and organizations are using more than 3 million connections on FirstNet nationwide. We are proud to support America’s first responders.

Bringing broadband to rural and remote areas

Currently, the initial buildout of FirstNet has surpassed 95% nationwide coverage in just 4 years and in 2020 alone, approximately 100,000 square miles were added to the network’s footprint. The FirstNet Authority has engaged with public safety officials to map out the expansion of FirstNet’s coverage where they said they needed it most, including in traditionally underserved and rural areas. Reaching rural America will continue to be a top priority for the FirstNet network.

The benefits of expanding coverage go beyond the public safety community. When the FirstNet spectrum is not needed by first responders, it’s available to the public to use. As a result of FirstNet’s growth, people living and working in rural communities now have access to commercial mobile broadband in some areas that previously had little or no coverage.

New marketplace for public safety

Unlike in the past when public safety users were mostly an afterthought, they are now a critical vertical market to consider for the technology industry. Over the past decade, the FirstNet Authority has spurred a competitive marketplace for public safety communication technologies. This is leading to more choices, lower costs, and specialized solutions built to public safety’s needs.

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Statement from the Department of Commerce on the President’s America First Budget Blueprint

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National Black History Month: Honoring a Century of Excellence in Data Collection and Use

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For more than 100 years, African American leaders in the Department of Commerce have been making significant, innovative contributions to our collection of data to help us better understand our country and our world. Through locations across the country, the Commerce Department provides services crucial to deploying connectivity, data, and information to businesses, American communities, and  tribal, state and local governments—all who rely on our data to make informed decisions across all sectors of the economy.

In honor of Black History Month, the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are recognizing three Black leaders who have made a lasting impact in the field of data collection and use.

Gertrude E. Rush: Census Enumerator and Legal Pioneer

The U.S. Census Bureau is proud of its history of hiring a diverse workforce.  Census work was one of the earliest government jobs open to minorities. The Census Bureau has been hiring African Americans as enumerators and data processors since the 1870 Census, the first census conducted after the abolition of slavery.  But many of these enumerators faced harassment and death threats, despite their protected status as government agents.

In 1910, the Census Bureau issued guidelines that communities with two-fifths African American populations should have African American enumerators. That same year, Gertrude E Rush, born Gertrude Elzora Durden, became one of only two African Americans to pass the Census Bureau’s enumerator examination in Des Moines, Iowa, and joined the 1,605 African American enumerators working nationwide. The Iowa Bystander applauded the hiring of "colored" census takers, congratulating and hailing them as "respected citizens."

In addition to her role as a census enumerator, perhaps the most important of Rush’s many accomplishments was in the field of law. In 1918, she became the first African American admitted to the Iowa state bar. She would remain the only African American woman to practice law in Iowa until the 1950s. In 1921, she became president of the Iowa Colored Bar Association, becoming the first woman to lead a coed state bar association.  Four years later, after being denied admission to the American Bar Association, she and four other African American lawyers (who were men) founded the Negro Bar Association (now called the National Bar Association). It currently boasts about 65,000 members, predominantly African American.

Rush, also an author and activist in the civil rights and women’s movements, died in Des Moines on September 5, 1962, at the age of 82.

In 2010, 100 years after Rush became one of the nation’s first African American enumerators, the National Bar Association, which she helped found, was among the groups that worked with the Census Bureau to help ensure accurate counts of historically underrepresented groups.

Larry Irving: NTIA Leader and Broadband Data Groundbreaker

More than 25 years ago, the Internet was still evolving from a network utilized primarily in academia and government to the dynamic engine for innovation and economic growth that we know today.

At the center of it all was Larry Irving, the first African American assistant secretary to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Irving played a pivotal role in developing policies and programs to ensure access to telecommunications and information technologies.

As part of his work to develop public policy in this new era, Irving led an effort to improve our understanding of who was being left behind in the Internet Age. In 1994, Irving commissioned the Census Bureau to collect data on Americans’ use of computers and compare it with key demographic information, such as race, age and income. This survey was among the first to reveal the existence of the “digital divide,” a phrase popularized by Irving.

NTIA’s Internet Use Survey continues to this day. This past November, the 16th edition of the survey went into the field. With its large sample size and more than 50 questions about Internet usage, it is the most comprehensive national survey of how Americans connect to the Internet and what they do when they’re online. NTIA plans to release the results of the survey and our analysis of the data in the coming months.

Unfortunately, the digital divide that Irving identified in the 1990s is still with us today. The 2019 NTIA Internet Use Survey found that 65 million Americans still did not use the Internet at all, and that significant racial, educational, income, and other disparities in adoption continued to persist. Help is on the way, however. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $65 billion, including about $48 billion to NTIA, for expanding broadband in communities across the U.S., creating more low-cost broadband service options, and addressing the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.

In 2019, Irving was elected to the Internet Hall of Fame, which honored his groundbreaking work to identify the digital divide and advocate for equitable access to the Internet. Today he is president of the Irving Group, a consulting firm, and Chairman of the Board for the Public Broadcasting Service. NTIA recognizes Irving’s monumental achievements and lasting legacy as a champion for universal internet access.

Jeffrey Barnett: BEA Economist Sheds Light on Pandemic’s Impact on U.S. Economy

For Jeffrey Barnett, an economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Black History Month is “a time to reflect and recognize the significant contributions African Americans have made to the United States. It’s also a time to remember the extraordinary sacrifices Black men and women have made to allow us to have the freedoms we have today.”

In December, Barnett was honored with BEA’s George Jaszi Employee Excellence Award for “consistently demonstrating exceptional leadership skills, vision, and tenacity.” Barnett, chief of the National Economic Accounts’ Business and Consumer Services Branch, was recognized for his innovative research that led to the development of alternative, high-frequency indicators for measuring the services sector’s economic activity. His research directly contributed to a better understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the U.S. economy, according to the text accompanying his award.

In addition to the Jaszi award, Barnett was part of a group that won a Gold Medal last year from the Commerce Department for customer service. Barnett and his colleagues were honored for rapidly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing new way to analyze and measure record-setting disruptions to the U.S. economy.

Barnett holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Howard University and a master’s degree in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Barnett has served on BEA’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and is currently a member of the council’s External Community Initiatives Subgroup. In 2020, he participated as a panelist on the council’s “Conversation on Race.”

To learn more about the valuable data products provided by these three bureaus please visit their respective websites: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Census Bureau and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

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National Black History Month: Honoring a Century of Excellence in Data Collection and Use

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National Black History Month: Honoring a Century of Excellence in Data Collection and Use

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U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Softwood Lumber from Canada

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EDA and MBDA Support a New Generation of Black Entrepreneurs 

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At the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Black History Month is an opportunity to shine a light on the legacies and achievements of those within the Black business community and to honor the significant cultural and economic contributions of Black Americans to our country. This is also a time to encourage greater participation and reaffirm our commitment to greater access to opportunity and equity in Black and other historically underserved communities as we build an economy that works for all Americans.

Only five percent of Black Americans own equity in a business in the United States, according to an October 2020 McKinsey study. Other studies have shown that Black entrepreneurs are at an increased risk of having their profitability harmed by a lack of access to the capital they need to build and grow their businesses.

Initiatives like the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program as well as programs delivered by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) are helping narrow inequities facing Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). EDA’s RLF program assists businesses by capitalizing local investment programs that provide gap financing to businesses that might not be able to obtain traditional bank loans, while MBEs can access a variety of technical assistance, including access to capital, access to contracts and access to markets by contacting a local MBDA Business Center.

One Black entrepreneur who has seen the value of these Department of Commerce programs first-hand is Gaby Long of Eureka, California. In 2015, Long started A Taste of Bim, an authentic Caribbean bistro in Eureka’s historic Old Town.

Born in Barbados, Long immigrated to the United States as a child and dreamed of one day starting a family-run restaurant that would serve top quality, Caribbean cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. But bank loans for bars and restaurants have been historically difficult to come by.

Long approached the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC) for support. She received a loan and was able to make her dreams of restaurant ownership a reality.

To date, RREDC has received more than $6 million in federal funding to capitalize and administer RLFs.

Since she opened A Taste of Bim, Long’s entrepreneurial acumen and growing commercial success has allowed her to expand her business with the purchase of a food truck to take her signature dishes like sweet coconut bread and pineapple pork chops to area festivals and events. Her handmade mango chutney and hot pepper sauces are now sold in local grocery stores. And, last year, she purchased a closed coffee shop, revitalizing and reopening it as The Grind Café, in addition to opening a satellite A Taste of Bim location on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt.

“I am so proud to be part of an organization working to ensure success stories like Gaby’s are possible for all Americans no matter where you come from," said Alejandra Castillo, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and former National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency. "Equity is at the heart of the work being done at the Department of Commerce. The federal government can’t act as a surrogate for American ingenuity. What we can do is offer the framework and mechanisms needed to encourage and support entrepreneurs like Gaby.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all U.S. industries. However, evidence shows the crisis has disproportionately affected minority-owned businesses. A study carried out by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that businesses run by minorities, women and veterans reported harsher downturns from COVID-19. To help address these needs, Congress authorized $25 million in additional funding for MBDA to expand programs and services focused on recovery efforts.

Angel’s Learning Center, owned and operated by Krizia Angel Rogers, is a childcare center located in Brooklyn Park, MN. Krizia's love of children made her vision for a North Minneapolis daycare business clear—provide high quality, community-based childcare with an emphasis on education. She opened the doors to Angel's Learning Center in 2013, serving families with children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age by providing childcare, preschool programs, before and after school programs and Saturday drop-in care.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Krizia had six employees working for her. When COVID hit, Angel’s Learning Center’s enrollment drastically decreased due to parents working from home or job loss. This created a shortfall in revenues. Krizia was nearing the point of laying off some of her employees. In May 2020, Krizia obtained her first PPP loan for $90,000, with the help of business experts at Meda, an MBDA Business Center, funded by an MBDA CARES Act grant. This allowed her to keep her employees and childcare center in operation. With the help of Meda, Krizia then successfully applied for 100% forgiveness on the PPP Loan. This has helped sustain business, keep her employees, and pursue purchasing the building where Angel’s Learning Center is located.

“I am inspired by the resilience of our nation’s minority entrepreneurs who still face challenges due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Miguel Estién, MBDA Acting National Director. “The resources we provide help businesses reopen, sustain, and grow.  We understand that the economic stability of businesses like Angel Learning Center creates a positive ripple effect not only within their company and for their employees, but also into the surrounding neighborhood and the greater community.”

To date, MBDA has awarded twenty-eight grants totaling $18 million under the Coronavirus Relief Act. MBDA grantees have assisted minority business enterprises prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying and accessing local, State, and Federal government assistance.

Learn more about EDA and MBDA programs at eda.gov and mbda.gov.

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Gaby Long (left) established A Taste of Bim in 2015.   

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Gaby Long (left) established A Taste of Bim in 2015.   

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U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Softwood Lumber from Canada

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Black History Month: How Commerce Assists Black Entrepreneurs and Innovators 

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Joint blog by the Minority Business Development Agency, the International Trade Administration, and the Bureau of Industry and Security

Throughout the year, the Department of Commerce provides valuable assistance to inventors and minority-owned business enterprises across the United States, including small and medium-size firms that are important source of revenue and jobs in communities everywhere. Black History Month provides a unique opportunity to celebrate their success and learn about the national and international accomplishments of many Black innovators and entrepreneurs.

One such Black business owner seeing success today is Gregory Bush, Jr., President and CEO of KFA, Inc., a Chicago-area company that specializes in technology solutions for smart cities, capital construction, facilities management, and business continuity. In 2020, Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) honored KFA with its Minority Innovative Technology Firm of the Year Award for its work with the Chicago Transit Authority. As a result of its successes domestically, KFA was inspired to develop new technology product lines and further their services internationally. Through Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), KFA has participated in U.S. trade missions to Dubai, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Greg Bush, Jr is not unlike his historical predecessor, Granville Woods. Born just before the Civil War, Granville Woods was a self-taught mechanical and electrical engineer who developed nearly 60 patents during his lifetime. One of his most famous patents, the “multiplex telegraph” allowed trains to communicate with train stations by both voice and telegraph. It increased safety on the railways by allowing telegraphs to also be sent from trains on the move. Innovations in the tech sector enable businesses to streamline business practices and advance the ways people communicate across time and space. From Granville to Bush, the work done by these tech innovators in the Black community have paved the way in creating solutions to advance business practices.

If you lead or own a minority-owned business, the Commerce Department is here to provide you the resources and help you achieve success. We have several bureaus to help navigate you each step of the way.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises. Minority business enterprises can access a variety of technical assistance, including access to capital, contracts, and markets by contacting a local MBDA Business Center. MBDA Specialty Centers provide industry specific services including advanced manufacturing, business development services to provide opportunities to access global markets and a federal procurement center which specializes in connecting minority businesses to federal procurement officials and prime contractors. MBDA grants also funds projects like Enterprising Women of Color, Inner City Innovation Hubs, and programs at minority serving institutions. Learn more about these projects and programs here.

Are you interested in expanding to international markets? The International Trade Administration (ITA) offers market intelligence, business matching, and trade missions to help you explore new markets. Connect with a trade expert. ITA hosts various trade missions throughout the year that introduce U.S. companies to foreign markets. This year, ITA will host a trade mission geared towards U.S. minority-owned companies interested in expanding in Southwestern Europe (Italy, Portugal and Spain). Interested companies should consider applying for this executive-level Minority-Business Focused Trade Mission, held from May 15-21, 2022. Over the course of the week, participants will connect with U.S. government leaders and commercial teams working in these markets, network with U.S. companies doing business in this region, and take part in customized one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened prospective buyers, agents, distributors, and joint venture partners.

Are you interested in getting started with exporting? The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has resources to help you understand the rules and our counselors are standing by to answer questions. BIS also offers seminars that introduce the export control regulations for dual – use and less sensitive military and offers guidance on creating and maintaining export compliance programs. These services are invaluable to a business just getting started in exports.

The U.S. Department of Commerce mission is to promote job creation and economic growth. The resources available from MBDA, ITA, and BIS can be important tools to help minority and black-owned businesses thrive. In the coming year, we hope that these services will help even more Black-owned businesses like KFA start up, succeed, grow, and make a difference in their communities.

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Assisting Black Entrepreneurs and Innovators

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Assisting Black Entrepreneurs and Innovators

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U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Softwood Lumber from Canada

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This Black History Month Commerce Recommits to Creating Equity and Opportunity for All Americans   

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This Black History Month, I have been reflecting on the words equity and opportunity, and the work that we at the U.S. Department of Commerce are doing to live up to their definitions and ensure that we create a 21st century economy that works for all Americans, but especially those who far too often have been overlooked or left behind.

I come from a long line of small business owners, including one who owned and operated the only African American-owned hotel in the mid-to-late 1800s, a few short blocks from where the Commerce Building sits today. During this time in our country’s history, it was almost impossible to imagine that a Black man, the son of slaves, could achieve the American Dream.

At Commerce, we are actively working to help communities build back equitably so that no one gets left behind and to ensure that more Americans, particularly Black Americans, can achieve the American Dream and have access to opportunities like those afforded to my family.

In pursuit of those goals, last year we hosted the first-ever Interagency Convening on Equitable Economic Growth with public, private, philanthropic, nonprofit, and community leaders committed to designing an economic growth strategy that is inclusive for all Americans. Leaders across industries gathered to share ideas and develop solutions to close the racial wealth gap. These vital conversations were centered around creating actions and solutions that can be implemented across the industry to build an economy where every American worker, business, and community can thrive.

This is especially important as our economy becomes more digital.

During the 19th century, the Rural Electrification Act brought an essential utility to millions of Americans and allowed them to fully participate in the modern economy. In the 21st century, access to high-speed internet is as essential electricity, and we must ensure that every single American, including those living in underserved communities, are able to access the internet and participate in our modern economy.

Unfortunately, Americans who lack broadband access are being excluded from opportunities to fully participate in the modern digital economy, and that is unacceptable.

Estimates show that 30 million Americans lack reliable or affordable broadband – disproportionately those who are non-white and low-income. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has been working actively to address this injustice through programs such as the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program. And thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will be able to build upon these critical investments. This landmark legislation provides $65 billion dollars to expand broadband in our country, with $48 billion dollars coming to the Commerce Department and NTIA to close the digital divide across America once and for all. The law also provides billions of dollars aimed directly at promoting digital equity.

Although there’s still more work to be done, this administration is beyond prepared to do that work.

Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has placed equity at the forefront. In his very first week in office, President Biden signed a historic executive order to make racial equity the business of the entire federal government. Additionally, through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) was given $3 billion to help struggling communities, which included $1 for EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge and $500 million for the Good Jobs Challenge. These transformative programs are aimed at helping distressed communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on women, people of color, and underserved communities.

Moreover, the American Rescue Plan has expanded access to wealth creation through small business ownership in Black communities, and President Biden has directed agencies to use federal contracting authority to increase its procurement from small, disadvantaged businesses, including Black-owned businesses, by 50% by 2025. This translates to an additional $100 billion over five years and leveraging the purchasing power of the federal government to help narrow the racial wealth gap.

Fortunately, the Commerce Department is uniquely positioned to help recovering minority businesses, which will be even more important considering that “the number of African-American business owners in operation surged to almost 1.5 million…up 38% from February 2020,” according to recent research.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also included statutory authority to make the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) permanent. MBDA is the only agency within the federal government that is focused on supporting the long-term health and wellbeing of minority-owned businesses. Our programs at MBDA are already producing results, having helped minority-owned businesses secure more than $2 billion in contracts, $708 million in financing, and supported the creation and retention of nearly 14,000 jobs. At Commerce, we are committed to keeping up this momentum with the new authority granted to MBDA and will continue our work to create a more equitable economy that gives every American a chance to succeed.

The U.S. Department of Commerce will use every tool at its disposal to help create high-quality, family sustaining jobs; opportunities to build skills and advance careers; and, along with the entire administration, will bring the full weight of our resources of the federal government to ensure that all Americans can participate in the 21st-century economy. It is not only the right thing to do but will make our American businesses and workers more competitive here at home and on the world stage.

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Deputy Secretary Don Graves at the Economic Development Administration's American Rescue Plan Launch

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Deputy Secretary Don Graves at the Economic Development Administration's American Rescue Plan Launch

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Statement from the Department of Commerce on the President’s America First Budget Blueprint

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Growing the American Economy through Black Leaders in Data, STEM, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation 

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By U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

The Department of Commerce has one overarching goal: To improve America’s economic competitiveness so that our workers and our companies succeed in the global economy. And Black History Month is a great time to showcase the achievements of the Black scientists, educators, creators, activists, and others who have contributed to that goal and continue to propel this nation forward every day.

In honor of Black History Month, the Commerce Department’s many diverse bureaus worked together to recognize and celebrate these accomplishments by highlighting Black leaders who have made a lasting impact in the field of data collection and use, entrepreneurship, invention and in STEM-related fields.

Take a moment to read these powerful blogs. Black history is American history.

Black History Month: How Commerce Assists Black Entrepreneurs and Innovators

EDA and MBDA Support a New Generation of Black Entrepreneurs

National Black History Month: Honoring a Century of Excellence in Data Collection and Use

Black Inventors and Entrepreneurs – Past, Present, and Future

National Black History Month: Commerce Home to Black Leaders in STEM Education and Research

As we create a 21st century economy it is vital that every American is included. Deputy Secretary Don Graves echoed Commerce’s commitment to creating equity and opportunity for all in this compelling Black History Month Blog, highlighting Commerce’s path to creating equity as we move to an inclusive future.

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Creating Equity and Opportunity for All Americans

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Commerce Celebrates Black History Month: Creating Equity and Opportunity for All Americans

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Residential Propane Price Analysis 2006 