Schott NA, Inc. visits Congress to advance science, technology investment

The meeting is part of Congressional Visits Day 2011 (CVD), a two-day annual event held in Washington, D.C. that brings together scientists, engineers, researchers, educators and technology executives to raise visibility and support for science, engineering and technology.

The CVD is organized by the Science Engineering Technology Working Group (SETWG)--an informal network comprising more than 33 professional scientific, and engineering societies, higher-education associations, institutions of higher learning, companies and trade associations--and is open to all who support research and development activities. The event consists of a series of briefings, a Congressional Reception that is part of a Science & Engineering Exhibit, and followed by a day of meetings with Members of Congress and staff.

Schott is joining the Hill visit at the invitation of SPIE (Bellingham, WA), which is a member of SETWG. During the meetings, Schott and other SETWG representatives will highlight success stories and benefits of public-private partnerships supporting scientific development in the United States.

Schott’s nine US factories produce high-quality technical glass specialty materials, components and systems used in thousands of applications for a wide-range of industries including defense, biotechnology, solar energy and electronics.

“As a U.S. manufacturer with a strong research and development presence, Schott is uniquely dedicated to advancing engineering and technology across the country,” said Jim Stein, Vice President of Government Relations at Schott. “Partnerships between the government, universities and companies like Schott are instrumental to innovation and economic growth in our nation.”

Also in Washington DC this week, members of The National Academies "Harnessing Light" committee are holding two days of meetings as they dig into the future of photonics. Speakers include Eugene Arthurs from SPIE, AT&T consultant Tingye Li, Jennifer Clark from Georgia Tech, and Tom Battley from the New York Photonics Cluster.