Advanced manufacturing impacts our everyday lives, economic competitiveness, national security, and sustainability making it a vital component of the American economy. In the past decade, the American manufacturing landscape has transformed, and the Manufacturing USA network is leading the call to ensure that what is invented here stays here and is made by a skilled American workforce.
On October 23, 2024, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) sponsored a congressional briefing at the Rayburn House Office building to showcase the advances of the Manufacturing USA network. The event also marked the bipartisan support for the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act, which passed in December 2014. The RAMI Act authorizes the Department of Commerce to establish and convene a nationwide network composed of individual manufacturing innovation institutes to enhance their impacts and further strengthen America’s global competitiveness.
Institutes representing advanced materials, biopharmaceutical, and digital manufacturing and cybersecurity joined past and present National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) leaders and policymakers to share how, for the past 10 years, the Manufacturing USA network's programs have helped to revitalize advanced manufacturing across the country. Speakers included Mike Molnar (NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing), Joe Steele (LIFT), Berardino Baratta (MxD), Kelvin Lee (NIIMBL), Greg Bowman (Siemens), and Carroll Thomas (Formerly of NIST, ITIF Board).
Stephen Ezell from ITIF discussed the manufacturing industry's significant contributions to the U.S. economy and emphasized the necessity for further efforts to maintain our global leadership (slides available here).
The panelists then discussed the importance of innovation, efficiency, revitalizing the manufacturing workforce, and adaptability in a rapidly changing global market. They showcased how their public-private collaborations have contributed to the growth and resilience of American manufacturing.
Greg Bowman from Siemens, a Manufacturing USA member, began his talk by expressing gratitude to American manufacturers. As a former soldier who served in the Iraq War, he emphasized that his team had unwavering confidence in their equipment, body armor, shelters, and vehicles. He attributed this trust to "American innovation, American ingenuity, and American manufacturers." He thanked the institutes for “what they do to advance our understanding of making things faster and at a high level of quality because people’s lives depend on it.” The meeting is archived and available for viewing on the ITIF website.
Milestones are often captured and celebrated at the 10-year mark. The ITIF event, Manufacturing USA: 10 Years of American Innovation, helped highlight past accomplishments and provide insights for the future of U.S. advanced manufacturing and the Manufacturing USA program. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, Manufacturing USA recently highlighted 10 areas where the network has made a significant impact, learn more here.