Andy Updegrove recently posted an interesting article on ConsortiumInfo.org that discussed new legislation in the US which he hopes will close the growing divide with respect to “institutional understanding of the relationship between standards and trade” between on the one hand China and the EU, and on the other the US.

In the Article – H.R. 5116: It’s Time to Close the “Standards Sophistication Gap” – Updegrove argues that While the US standards system (an industry-led/bottom-up approach) has historically served the country well, other large international markets are becoming considerably more sophisticated, particularly in integrating standards development with trade policy. He cites the aroespace industry in the EU and wireless telecommunications in China as examples.

Further, the US may be in danger of ceding lucrative commercial opportunities to foreign vendors, as future policy goals, such as deploying SmartGrid technology, are becoming increasing “standards-dependant”.

The new legislation seeks to extend NIST’s role, which Updegrove is optimistic will be the first step towards developing “an ongoing, formal interface between the public and private sectors so that possible new initiatives in areas such as cyber security and global warming could be launched in a less ad hoc fashion”