In recent years, there has been an intense debate over the shift of engineering and other high-skill services work from the United States to developing economies, known as "offshoring."  Some see offshoring as a signal that U.S. technological leadership is weakening. They warn of a long-term erosion in U.S. engineering prowess and living standards unless the trend is halted. Others claim that offshoring is the inevitable "next stage" of globalization and that the United States is well positioned to reap the benefits of more efficient global innovation networks.

Recognizing that offshoring represents a significant challenge to U.S. engineers and that hard data has been difficult to come by, the NAE launched a study aimed at examining the offshoring of engineering and its implications.  A committee of prominent industry and academic experts is leading this effort, which is supported by the National Science Foundation and the United Engineering Fund. 

A public workshop, Offshoring of Engineering: Facts, Myths, Unknowns, and Implications, in October, 2006, was the centerpiece of the committee’s study process.  The meeting featured talks by industry and academic engineering leaders.  Original NAE-commissioned research papers exploring offshoring in key industries were presented and discussed.  The overall goal of the workshop was to bring together cutting-edge analysis of offshoring, explore a wide range of opinions and perspectives, and engage national leaders and the broad engineering profession in a discussion of the outlook for, and implications of, offshoring.

See background paper by Robert P. Morgan: The Impact of Offshoring on the Engineering Profession