NIST announces competition for new Manufacturing USA institute that focuses on AI
A new competition has been introduced by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The competition, which is designed to create a new Manufacturing USA institute, will focus on ways to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the strength of domestic manufacturing. According to NIST, Manufacturing USA, created in 2014, is a nation-wide network of institutes that connects people, ideas, and technology. Each institute is a collaboration between public and private interests and focuses on various aspects of manufacturing, including supply chain, education, and workforce development.
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The latest AI-focused institute will concentrate on “conducting research and development projects, establishing employer-led sectoral partnerships to develop training resources, and creating pathways for the skilled workforce needed to move innovation into industrial practice.” The new institute will receive approximately $70 million in federal funds over five years, with additional contributions coming from private and other nonfederal funding sources.
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, “AI is an accelerator of our productivity and of human abilities — it can make us better, faster and stronger in so many ways. I’m particularly excited about the potential for AI to supercharge manufacturing and the ways it can strengthen American workers and businesses and make our country more competitive in the global economy. This new Manufacturing USA AI-focused institute will build on the Biden-Harris administration’s extensive work to revitalize American manufacturing, invest in innovation, and ensure American workers are ready to meet the challenges of the future.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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