KENNEDY BILL AUTHORIZES NEW NATIONAL MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE

Newton, MA – On the second anniversary of his Revitalize American Manufacturing (RAMI) Act, Congressman Joe Kennedy III today applauded the creation of a new manufacturing innovation hub in Delaware. Authorized by Kennedy’s bill, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) will join a network of U.S. manufacturing institutes dedicated to supporting next-generation technologies and training a top-tier workforce.
 
Last year, Kennedy spearheaded Congressional efforts to support the successful bid for a Massachusetts-based institute, which will focus on emerging technologies in fibers and textiles.  
 
“For countless American communities and working families, advanced manufacturing is a critical economic bright spot in a system that too often threatens to leave them behind,” said Congressman Kennedy. “Rebuilding a thriving manufacturing sector in the United States is an essential part of ensuring everyone can access the tremendous opportunities that an innovation economy brings. I thank Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and the entire Obama Administration for their commitment to American manufacturing and look forward to supporting the employers, educators and students at NIIMBL.”
 
The Delaware project will be the country’s eleventh Manufacturing Innovation Institute and will be a partnership of more than 150 companies, educational institutions, research centers, coordinating bodies, non-profits, and manufacturing extension partnerships. It will include input from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. For more information on NIIMBL, please click here.
 
Background on RAMI:
 
Congressman Kennedy introduced RAMI with Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY) in 2013. Securing over 100 co-sponsors, evenly split between both sides of the aisle, the bill passed the House of Representatives in September of 2014 with overwhelming support.  A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roy Blunt (R-MO). The bill was signed into law by President Obama in December of 2014.
 
RAMI builds off an existing Obama Administration pilot program to create a network of regional institutes across the country, each focused on a unique technology, material, or process relevant to advanced manufacturing. Comprised of local industry, academia and other stakeholders, the institutes will work to (1) expand research and development, (2) close the gap between R&D and commercialization of products, (3) support small and mid-sized manufacturers, and (4) train a top-tier advanced manufacturing workforce. 
 
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For Immediate Release:
December 16, 2016
 
Contact:
Emily Kaufman (617) 332-3333
Dan Black (202) 225-5931

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