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Keeping America on the Cutting Edge of Innovation: The NNMI’s Explosive Progress commerce.gov (https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/02/keeping-america- cutting-edge-innovation-nnmis-explosive-progress) The Department of Commerce launches the first open-topic competition for new manufacturing innovation institutes, and releases reports on the success of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation “We’re Americans. We are inventors. We are builders… That’s who we are. That’s what we do. We invent stuff, we build it. And pretty soon, the entire world adapts it. That’s who we are. And as long as I’m President, we’re going to keep on doing it. We’re going to make sure the next generation of life- changing products are invented and manufactured here in the United States of America.” - President Barack Obama, March 2012 With that powerful call to action (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press- office/2012/03/09/remarks-president-manufacturing-and-economy) made four years ago, President Barack Obama announced an historic initiative designed to maintain America’s competitiveness in the global economy. Speaking at an aerospace engine factory in Petersburg, Virginia in 2012, the President announced his vision for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation that would bring together industry, academia and government into individual institutes, with the goal of creating effective public-private hubs to solve real industry problems all across the country.

Keeping America On The Cutting Edge Of Innovation: The NNMI's Explosive Progress

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Keeping America on the Cutting Edge ofInnovation: The NNMI’s ExplosiveProgresscommerce.gov (https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/02/keeping-america-cutting-edge-innovation-nnmis-explosive-progress)

The Department of Commerce launches the first open-topiccompetition for new manufacturing innovation institutes,and releases reports on the success of the National Networkfor Manufacturing Innovation

“We’re Americans. We are inventors. We are builders… That’s who we are.

That’s what we do. We invent stuff, we build it. And pretty soon, the entire

world adapts it. That’s who we are. And as long as I’m President, we’re going

to keep on doing it. We’re going to make sure the next generation of life-

changing products are invented and manufactured here in the United States

of America.” - President Barack Obama, March 2012

With that powerful call to action (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/09/remarks-president-manufacturing-and-economy) madefour years ago, President Barack Obama announced an historic initiativedesigned to maintain America’s competitiveness in the global economy.Speaking at an aerospace engine factory in Petersburg, Virginia in 2012, thePresident announced his vision for a National Network for ManufacturingInnovation that would bring together industry, academia and government intoindividual institutes, with the goal of creating effective public-private hubs tosolve real industry problems all across the country.

That same day, the President announced the competition for the very firstmanufacturing innovation institute, which would focus on securing America’scompetitive edge in the rapidly growing market for additive manufacturing/3Dprinting. Known as America Makes (https://www.americamakes.us/), thisfirst institute was established in Youngstown, Ohio. It began with 40 membersincluding companies of all sizes, research universities, community colleges andnonprofits, and has since brought together the expertise of more than 160partners.

We now have seven manufacturing institutes up-and-running, each of themstarted with seed money from the Department of Defense or Energy that hasbeen matched by non-federal funds. A $500 million federal investment has ledto more than $1 billion in non-federal funding for NNMI. With the support ofmore than 800 members -- including blue chip companies like GE, Alcoa, andRaytheon; leading universities like Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and the University ofTennessee; and numerous small businesses and non-profits -- the institutes areundertaking applied research in support of solutions to industry-relevantproblems, strengthening the skills of America’s workforce, and securing U.S.leadership in emerging manufacturing technologies.

Today represents another milestone for the NNMI Program. I am pleased toannounce that using new authorities granted under the bipartisan RevitalizeAmerican Manufacturing and Innovation Act, the Department of Commerce islaunching the first “open topic” competition, which will result in the creation ofat least two new manufacturing institutes. This competition is open to any topicproposed by industry not already addressed by an NNMI institute. One institutewill be awarded using FY2016 funds, and one or more will be awarded subjectto the availability of additional funds. Each institute award is in the form of acooperative agreement that provides up to $70 million in federal support over afive-year period and requires matching funds from non-federal sources. The

new additions to the rapidly growing National Network for ManufacturingInnovation represent our latest progress toward the President’s goal of 15manufacturing innovation institutes before he leaves office.

To demonstrate what the NNMI has already accomplished, today theDepartment of Commerce has also released the first annual report(http://manufacturing.gov/docs/2015-NNMI-Annual-Report.pdf) on theNNMI program, which tells the story of the NNMI’s development and highlightsthe activities and initial successes achieved by each of these hubs. Concurrently,we have published the first NNMI Strategic Plan(http://manufacturing.gov/docs/2015-NNMI-Strategic-Plan.pdf), whichexplains the path forward for the NNMI program.

I am excited to celebrate the success of the President’s vision for a NationalNetwork for Manufacturing Innovation, and the Department of Commerce’srole in supporting and growing the NNMI program to strengthen U.S. leadershipin advanced manufacturing and prepare the nation to compete for the nextgeneration of manufacturing jobs and investment.

The new Commerce-led manufacturing innovation institutes will jointhe nine existing hubs led by the Departments of Defense and Energy:

Seven institutes awarded - America Makes, the National AdditiveManufacturing Innovation Institute (additive manufacturing and 3Dprinting); DMDII (integrated digital design and manufacturing);PowerAmerica (wide bandgap semiconductor-based power electronics);LIFT (lightweight metals); IACMI (advanced fiber-reinforced polymercomposites); AIM Photonics (integrated photonic circuit manufacturing);and NextFlex (flexible hybrid electronics).Two institutes under competition – Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles andSmart Manufacturing: Advanced Sensors, Controls, Platforms, and

Modeling.

commerce.gov (https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/02/keeping-america-cutting-edge-innovation-nnmis-explosive-progress)