White House Releases Strategy for Achieving and Maintaining Advanced Manufacturing Superiority

The White House recently released the quadrennial Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing, which describes “how Federal agencies, state and local government, the full spectrum of educational institutions, large and small private industry, large and small investors and, most importantly, our citizenry can achieve a national vision of U.S. Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Across Industrial Sectors to Ensure National Security and Economic Prosperity.”

The strategic plan was developed by the National Science and Technology Council, Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing, which was co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Commerce/NIST and staffed by NIST, with representatives from 17 different Federal agencies and offices with interests in advanced manufacturing technologies, international trade, and workforce development.

The strategy is broken down into three goals:

• Develop and Transition New Manufacturing Technologies
• Educate, Train, and Connect the Manufacturing Workforce
• Expand the Capabilities of the Domestic Manufacturing Supply Chain

Within these three goals, the strategy provides more information such as a set of guidelines for how the administration expects to achieve each of these goals. Along with these guidelines, strategic objectives and technical and program priorities with specific actions and outcomes to be accomplished are laid out. 
The report frequently highlights the success of the public-private partnerships of the 14 Manufacturing USA institutes noting that the total program commitment has grown to more than $3 billion, comprised of $1 billion of Federal funds matched by over $2 billion of non-Federal investment.  It also addresses the advanced manufacturing workforce and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), stating “the Manufacturing USA institutes have helped to transform the image of manufacturing from “dirty, dark, and dangerous” to “smart, sustainable, and safe” for students and their parents. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, nearly 200,000 students, teachers and manufacturing practitioners were engaged in an institute project, internship, certification, or training program in a range of advanced manufacturing technologies.”

“When we grow American manufacturing, we don’t only grow our jobs and wages, but we also grow America’s spirit…There is no better place to build, hire, and grow than right here in the United States. America is open for business more than it has ever been open for business.” 
– President Trump.

To view the report in full, click here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Advanced-Manufacturing-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf