Applied Economics Office

The Applied Economics Office (AEO), a part of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at NIST, provides economic products and services through research and consulting to industry and government agencies in support of productivity enhancement, economic growth, and international competitiveness, with a focus on improving the life-cycle quality and economy of constructed facilities. An area of specialty in support of this mission is the AEO's work in interdisciplinary teams with engineers and scientists from EL and NIST at large to measure the economic impact of new technologies.

The focus of AEO's research and technical assistance is microeconomic analysis. The AEO provides information to decision makers in the public and private sectors who are faced with choices among new technologies and policies relating to manufacturing, industrial processes, the environment, energy conservation, construction, facility maintenance, law enforcement, and safety. It also develops and conducts prototype training programs in applied economics for scientists and engineers.