In an effort to create more jobs, the Obama administration is launching competitions to create three new manufacturing innovation institutes with a federal commitment of $200 million across five agencies: Defense, Energy, Commerce, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. The energy-related institute will focus on next-generation power electronics manufacturing.
The president’s FY14 budget includes $1 billion for the Department of Commerce to create the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), a model based on approaches that other countries have successfully deployed, according to the announcement. Each institute is envisioned as a regional hub “to bridge the gap between basic research and product development, bringing together companies, universities and community colleges, and Federal agencies to co-invest in technology areas that encourage investment and production in the U.S.”
The administration announced on May 9 that the Department of Defense will lead two of the new institutes, focused on “Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation” and “Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing.” The Department of Energy will lead the institute on “Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing.”
All three institutes will be selected through an open, competitive process, led by the DOE and DOD, with review from a multi-agency team of technical experts. Winning teams will be selected and announced later this year. Federal funds will be matched by industry co-investment, support from state and local governments, and other sources.
The administration said that both the pilot institute and manufacturing institutes are expected to become financially self-sustaining, and the plan to achieve this objective will be a critical evaluation criterion in the selection process.
Source: DOE
—Gail Reitenbach, PhD, Managing Editor (@POWERmagazine, @GailReit)
