April 2014

COMMUNITIES: INDUSTRY
Obama Announces Three New Manufacturing Innovation Institutes

President Obama has announced the launch of three new manufacturing innovation institutes as part of the next phase of his National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

The president first announced his plan for the network in March 2012, proposing the creation of 15 institutes devoted to advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. Before the end of the year, a pilot institute—the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio—was up and running and had put out its first call for research and development projects. Then, in 2013, the president expanded his initial plan, proposing the development of a network of 45 institutes over 10 years.

The Next Generation Power Electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute, announced in January, and the Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation Institute and Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, announced in February, are the next to join the proposed network since the launch of the pilot institute. Each institute is meant to serve as a regional hub to bridge the gap between applied research and product development, bringing together the public and private sector, as well as academia.

Located at North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus, the Next Generation Power Electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute is focused on making wide bandgap semiconductor technologies cost-competitive with current silicon-based power electronics within the next five years. The institute’s goal is that by supporting the foundation of a wide bandgap semiconductor manufacturing base, the US can take the lead in large, fast growing markets like consumer appliances, telecommunications, and clean energy technologies.

The Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation Institute, located in Detroit, is focused on developing advanced lightweight materials and removing technological barriers to manufacturing products and systems with advanced lightweight materials. Finally, the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, located in Chicago, is focused on how digital technology and data management can be used to create products cheaper and faster. The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute will also train workers in the skills required for digital manufacturing jobs.