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 91看片 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 91看片 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鈥檚 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 91看片 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 ).
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 91看片 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 鈥渨hat they do to advance our understanding of making things faster and at a high level of quality because people鈥檚 lives depend on it.鈥 The meeting is archived and available for viewing on the .
Milestones are often captured and celebrated at the 10-year mark. The ITIF event, 91看片: 10 Years of American Innovation, helped highlight past accomplishments and provide insights for the future of U.S. advanced manufacturing and the 91看片 program. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, 91看片 recently highlighted 10 areas where the network has made a significant impact, learn more here.