HOUSE MANUFACTURING CAUCUS MEETS ON NATIONAL MANUFACTURING INNOVATION INSTITUTES

The House Manufacturing Caucus welcomed a panel of experts Tuesday to Washington for a discussion on the “National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) – Past, Present and Future.” The caucus delved into a conversation of the first national manufacturing innovation institute located in Youngstown, Ohio, what current proposals exist for additional institutes, and the outlook for legislation to authorize future innovation centers to promote job growth in the United States.

“Having a network of manufacturing institutes is what we need here in America to ‘Make it here, sell it there,’” Congressman Tom Reed said. “The Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act I introduced in the House will add more manufacturing institutes to bolster private-sector job creation and advance our competitive edge. We’ll engage the best and the brightest minds in manufacturing, academia and business to move American manufacturing forward.”

“I’m a proud that the public-private partnership to promote manufacturing innovation we established last year in Youngstown is now a model for the rest of the nation,” said Congressman Tim Ryan.  “I wholeheartedly support the manufacturing innovation agenda, and I am hopeful that the Reed-Kennedy bill, and the Brown-Blunt bill in the Senate, will move through our chambers and provide the legal and budgetary framework for continuing this effort that is crucial to the success of American manufacturing, and to the recovery of our economy.”

Caucus Members were joined by panelists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Northrop Grumman (lead manufacturer at the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute), the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) for a discussion on the future of American manufacturing and the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

In addition to the panel participants, Rep. Tom Reed and his Democratic counterpart, Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts, provided a legislative update on their Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI) of 2013. The bipartisan bill would formally codify NNMI and establish a network of regional institutes across the country through public-private partnerships – coordinating manufacturers, businesses, universities and community colleges to combine resources and encourage collaboration to make American Manufacturing competitive in the 21st Century globalized marketplace. Under the bill, institutes would be selected for participation through a competitive, merit-based review process.  

“As our country continues to struggle through economic recovery, there is no question that manufacturing will play a critical role in driving future growth,” said Congressman Kennedy. “The Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act will build on the success we have seen in Youngstown and ensure that this country has a strong and smart national manufacturing strategy. I’m proud to have worked with Congressman Reed on this bipartisan piece of legislation and look forward to working with the entire House Manufacturing Caucus to bring it to the floor.”

A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

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