The Department of Commerce’s National Technical Information Services (NTIS) has announced a few new changes that may very well shake up the way the government uses and shares information. NTIS has announced a new joint venture partnership aimed improve access, analysis, and use of federal data. NTIS serves as the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today, supporting the Department of Commerce mission to promote the nation’s economic growth by providing access to information that stimulates innovation and discovery.
As part of this new joint venture, NTIS has appointed a new Director, Avi Bender, who previously served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the U.S. Census Bureau. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed Bender and made the formal announcement yesterday, adding “We are excited about this new direction for NTIS… Finding innovative ways to utilize the federal government’s expansive data resources will provide great opportunities for public-private sector collaboration”
NTIS is seeking proposals from potential joint venture partners “to improve access, data interoperability, search, or use of federal data and data services to drive innovation and business outcome.” Activities conducted by joint ventures may include:
1) designing, testing, analyzing, or demonstrating the application of federal data and data services, either alone or in some combination with non-federal data;
2) leveraging the private sector’s knowledge and expertise in managing data and data sets;
3) helping create suites of products, platforms and services that meet the needs of businesses, innovators, government agencies or others; and
4) enhancing data discovery, usability, interoperability, standards, analytics, and forecasting, or data infrastructure and security.
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See the full NTIS announcement here.