Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on New Manufacturing Institute

“I commend President Obama's announcement today of a new National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) institute. These institutes are designed to foster pre-competitive collaboration among manufacturers, academics and non-profits in cutting-edge technologies. Such innovation is exactly what we need to maintain America's global competitiveness, grow our economy, and create jobs."

Following a successful NNMI pilot institute in Youngstown, Ohio, President Obama announcedthe launch of competitions to create three new manufacturing innovation institutes in May 2013 with a federal commitment of $200 million across five federal agencies – Commerce, Defense, Energy, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. The President has also called for building out the initial network of 15 manufacturing innovation institutes to 45 over the next 10 years.

Support for this network of industry-driven commercialization hubs is a key part of the Commerce Department's ‘Open for Business Agenda.’ Here at Commerce, the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is working to make the sum of these institutes greater than the individual parts. In close consultation with industry and academia, Commerce is developing the framework for measuring performance and sharing information across the network and across the country. To learn more, visit: http://www.manufacturing.gov/pubs_resources.html.”