2: Development & Commercialization
Address barriers to rapid and efficient development and commercialization of new advanced manufacturing process innovations Other Information:
The President's proposed NNMI and the regional collaborations it catalyzes are designed to address barriers to rapid and efficient
development and commercialization of new advanced manufacturingprocess innovations, thus strengthening existing or building
new innovation ecosystems in advanced manufacturing. The network and its individual IMIs will help companies to collaborate
and access the capabilities of research universities and other science and technology organizations to support efforts aimed
at developing and scaling up manufacturing and assembly processes. At the same time, the IMIs will help to meet the challenge
of building at all levels the pool of high-skilled talent that advanced manufacturing innovation and production requires.
The number of proposed IMIs, envisioned to be up to 15 institutes, will be scaled in order to provide sufficient resources
for achieving regional and national impacts in advanced-manufacturing performance... To maximize chances for success, the
National Research Council's report [6] advises that regional innovation clusters need to [pursue the following objectives]:
Stakeholder(s):
- Research Centers: Research centers typically focus on basic research, but occasionally also extend to fund applied research and technology proof-of-concept
activities. Such centers are affiliated with one or more universities. Examples include:
- NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers: NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers that leverage a modest NSF investment with funding by industry members,
other agencies, and other organizations to support a single- or multi-university center. The centers focus on early-stage
precompetitive research.
- NSF Engineering Research Centers: NSF Engineering Research Centers are hosted at universities and promote partnerships among researchers in different disciplines
and between industry and universities. ERCs are targeted at advancing transformational engineering systems, conduct research
from the fundamental stage to proof-of-concept test beds, create education programs from pre-college through postdoctoral
studies, and are hosted by universities. The goal is to create a culture in engineering research and education that links
discovery to technological innovation through transformational fundamental and engineered systems research.
- NSF's Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs): NSF's Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) support researchers to engage in fundamental interdisciplinary
research to solve complex materials problems that are intellectually challenging and important to society. Discoveries resulting
from this research are sometimes leveraged into start-up companies impacting industries across the breadth of materials science.
Additionally, centers are encouraged to engage in external collaborations, which can include scientists from industry.
- Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): In addition, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)—although not focused specifically on manufacturing
R&D—conduct basic and applied research and support specialized R&D resources and capabilities.
- Research and Innovation Hubs: Hubs emphasize large and diverse teams of researchers focused on a specific high priority goal. For example, the DOE Energy
Innovation Hubs are multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, highly-collaborative teams of scientists and engineers working
over a longer time frame to advance highly promising areas of energy science and technology from their early stages of research
to the point where the risk level will be low enough for industry to begin to move them into development for manufacturing
scale-up and the marketplace. DOE Hubs are led by top researchers with the knowledge, resources, and authority to nimbly guide
efforts, seizing new opportunities or closing off unproductive lines of research.
- Manufacturing Demonstration Facilities: MDFs help members of the manufacturing community to develop and demonstrate new manufacturing technologies. This can help
manufacturers understand full-scale costs and implementation requirements, allowing them to create and justify their business
case when seeking further private capital investment to bring processes and products to market. MDFs access to otherwise cost-prohibitive
tools and resources, and are focused on demonstration of processes and production technologies at industrially relevant demonstration
scale. DARPA and DOE are sponsors of MDFs.
- DOD Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program: The DOD ManTech Program develops advanced manufacturing technologies and processes for the affordable, timely production and
sustainment of defense systems. In close partnership with industry, the program impacts all phases of system development,
acquisition, and sustainment by developing, maturing, and transitioning key advanced manufacturing technologies. Investments
are focused on those technologies that have the greatest defense benefit and are balanced to support transition of emerging
technologies, improvements to existing production enterprises, and strengthening the U.S. industrial base. ManTech has a long
history of delivering critical and "game changing" advanced manufacturing technologies and processes, such as numerically
controlled machines, carbon fiber composites, microelectronics fabrication, advanced radars, laser-guided munitions, lean
production methods, advanced optics, and advanced soldier body armor. Many defense manufacturing technologies have spun-off
into commercial markets and resulted in large economic advances for the United States. For example, the widespread commercialization
of numerically controlled machine tools has been attributed to initial ManTech sponsorship and development.
- Centers of Excellence: Centers of Excellence are another model used in a number of Federal programs. These centers are typically led by a not-for-profit
or university and concentrate basic or applied research into a specific area in order to achieve a critical mass of talent
and resources. DOD's Navy ManTech Program utilizes a Center of Excellence model to develop technologies and processes for
the affordable production and sustainment of naval systems. Centers of Excellence have existed for Joining, Composites, Electronics,
and Benchmarking Best Practices. DOE's Fuel Cell Technology Program previously sponsored four Hydrogen Storage Centers of
Excellence in order to accelerate optimal materials for chemical and metal hydride hydrogen storage.
- Deployment and Delivery Programs: Deployment and Delivery Programs provide hands-on technical assistance to companies interested in implementing lessons from
classroom training or industry best practice into their business growth strategies and manufacturing operations. This includes
employing new technologies to meet changing customer demands or support new product development, deploying innovative production
methods, or other steps to enhance their capabilities and competitive position. For example, the DOC NIST Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership is a national network based on a Federal-State-local partnership providing direct services to nearly
10,000 SMEs annually through 400 centers, field offices, and partner organizations across the U.S. MEPs provide fee-based
technical assistance to manufacturers to enable them to reduce costs, improve productivity, and pursue growth opportunities
through innovation.
Objective(s):
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