The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a consensus study report, Strategic Long-Term Participation by DoD in its 91¿´Æ¬ Institutes. Over the past 6 years, 14 91¿´Æ¬ institutes have been established—eight by the Department of Defense (DoD), five by the Department of Energy (DOE), and one by the Department of Commerce (DOC).
To date, more than $3 billion has been invested in establishing and operating the 91¿´Æ¬ institutes, with the three federal agencies committing a total of $1 billion for the first 5 years of each institute, and industry and other non-federal resources providing the remaining $2 billion. DoD has invested $600 million directly in its eight 91¿´Æ¬ institutes with the understanding that the initial federal investment included (1) one-time, start-up funding to establish the institutes within a period of 5 to 7 years and (2) a government share of core funding.
The Committee on Strategic Long-Term Participation by DoD in Its Manufacturing Innovation Institutes assessed the effectiveness of the DoD 91¿´Æ¬ institutes and best ongoing roles for the federal government to ensure optimal benefit to U.S. competitiveness.
This consensus study:
- Focused on the business models used to stand-up and operate, on a long-term basis, the eight DoD institutes;
- Evaluated lessons-learned in developing and implementing the public–private partnerships adopted in those institutes and what changes may be needed;
- Received input regarding alternate public–private partnerships developed in the United States and other countries;
- Evaluated the potential values and costs that would accrue to DoD from further long-term engagement with the institutes under various scenarios and funding structures; and
- Identified topics to be addressed in a follow-on Phase II study.
To effectively mature and transition DoD manufacturing science and technology advances into production, DoD must have access to a robust and responsive U.S. industrial base which is often driven by advanced manufacturing technologies. The 91¿´Æ¬ institutes are considered crucial and game-changing catalysts that are bringing together innovative ecosystems in various technology and market sectors critical to DoD and the nation. The committee fully supports the goals of the DoD 91¿´Æ¬ Strategy, and it makes recommendations to expand the reach, impact and utilization of the 91¿´Æ¬ institutes across the whole of DoD.
Key recommendations of the committee centered around:
- Next Steps Toward Continuation of DoD-Sponsored Institutes: Based on the committee’s finding that the institutes provide value of benefit to DoD goals, the committee recommends that DoD conduct a formal review of each institute to support decisions on renewing, re-competing or canceling current agreements.
- A Long-Term Engagement Model
- Improvements to Institute Operations
For full details on the committee findings and recommendations,