Obama Administration Announces New Public-Private Partnership to Support Manufacturing Innovation, Encourage Investment in America

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers of Ohio and Pennsylvania will be part of a new public-private partnership aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing and encouraging companies to invest in the United States. The new partnership, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), devoted to promoting 3d technology, is a consortium of research universities, community colleges and non-profit organizations from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and manufacturing firms nationwide. The consortium, selected through a competitive process led by the Department of Defense, will receive an initial $30 million in federal funding, matched by $40 million from consortium members.

"I'm pleased that we are taking steps to strengthen American manufacturing by launching a new manufacturing institute in Ohio," said President Obama. "This institute will help make sure that the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow take root not in places like China or India, but right here in the United States of America. That's how we'll put more people back to work and build an economy that lasts."

Background: On March 9, 2012, President Obama administration called on Congress to approve a plan to invest $1 billion to catalyze a national network of up to 15 manufacturing innovation institutes around the country that would serve as regional hubs of manufacturing excellence that will help to make our manufacturers more competitive and encourage investment in the United States. The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), is a pilot institute to serve as a proof-of concept of that plan.

NAMII is led by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (www.ncdmm.org), based in Latrobe, and includes 40 private companies, nine research universities, four community colleges and 11 trade associations and other nonprofit organizations.

For more information read the August 16,2012 Department of Commerce Press Release

This partnership will help accelerate and unleash the most promising ideas in American manufacturing—ideas that lead to more good jobs in the U.S. It will provide links between researchers, entrepreneurs and producers, helping the tech transfer process. And it will create a U.S.-based community that will attract and keep advanced manufacturing here in America.