The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US is offering up to $70 million in funding for a new Manufacturing USA institute to develop AI for productivity and security for the US manufacturing sector. It has opened a competition and requested concept papers from industrial AI research institutes and specialist companies. The winner will establish and operate the new institute with the $70 million jackpot, scheduled over a five year period, and be required to obtain “cost-share funds” from non-federal sources.
The deadline for the first stage of the application is September 30, 2024; applicants with the best plans will be asked to formalise their papers in full proposals. Manufacturing USA is a public-private partnership initiative around smart manufacturing and logistics, sponsored by the departments of commerce, energy, and defense. It comprises a network of national Industry 4.0 centres, co-funded by at least six additional agency partners. In 2022, the network worked with 2,500 member groups, including 1,500, mostly small, manufacturers, on over 670 applied R&D projects.
The network generated investments of $416 million from state, federal, and industry funds in 2022. The new industrial AI institute is to develop “cost-effective, AI-based advanced manufacturing capabilities” by bringing together industry, academia, and government. A statement said: “This public-private partnership will integrate expertise in AI, manufacturing and supply chain networks to promote manufacturing resilience. Proposals can cut across multiple industrial sectors or focus on just one.”
Industrial resiliency for US manufacturing is the headline objective, but NIST, part of the US department of commerce, is putting a focus on workforce development and skills, and also shared infrastructure and facilities. Proposals must address a compelling US industrial need, demonstrate significant industry buy-in, and avoid duplicating the efforts of existing Manufacturing USA institutes, which includes the planned Digital Twins Institute for Semiconductor Manufacturing, sponsored by the department of commerce. The funding opportunity is published here.
Gina Raimondo, secretary of commerce, said: “AI has enormous potential to make us smarter, faster and more innovative, but we have to work together to maximize its benefits and mitigate its risks. Through this new AI-focused Manufacturing USA institute, we will help leverage AI to supercharge manufacturing, empower our workforce and create secure, resilient supply chains.”
Laurie Locascio, under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and director at NIST, said: “This new institute will strengthen the US economy by helping manufacturers make smart use of AI to boost their productivity and increase their resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions and other unexpected events. We look forward to reviewing innovative proposals that will help domestic manufacturers maximize the potential of AI.”
