The MEP Program in 2024: Putting the Pieces Together
By G. Nagesh Rao, NIST MEP acting director
It’s no secret: I love Legos. When I was a child growing up in upstate New York, Legos (along with comic books, action figures, and my creative imagination) were my constant companions and sources of inspiration – just like my hardworking, entrepreneurial immigrant parents and friends from all walks of life.
The simplicity and elegance of Lego-building makes sense to me. Like the Universe before us, you start with a box of distinct parts, each with its own role, all dependent on one another to build a successful whole. With a plan, you put the pieces together to make a vision become reality. If even one part is missing or misplaced, the vision won’t come to life. As Aristotle famously opined, “The whole of the body is always greater than the sum of its parts.”
As 2024 concludes, I’ve been reflecting on how our team at the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has successfully connected its distinct parts – communications, funding, and partnerships – to deliver meaningful results for small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) across the country. We did so while focusing on the three pillars of the 2023-2027 strategic plan: mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, leveraging innovation and technology, and narrowing the workforce gap.
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