- The Biden-Harris Administration allocated $22 million to enhance smart manufacturing in small and medium-sized facilities, part of the Investing in America agenda.
- Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the initiative targets production efficiency, cost reduction, and emission control, aligning with a net-zero economy goal by 2050.
- 12 state-run programs will aid over 3,500 manufacturers with technical assistance, training, and financial support for smart manufacturing implementation.
- The program seeks to broaden the smart manufacturing ecosystem through national collaborations, administered by the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.
The Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled a $22 million fund aimed at enhancing smart manufacturing within small to medium sized enterprises across the United States. This initiative, anchored in the Investing in America blueprint, has been orchestrated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which allocated the funds to 12 state-run schemes designed to expedite the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies and high-performance computing. Supported by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the State Manufacturing Leadership Program seeks to make these advanced technologies accessible across the domestic manufacturing sector, a sector accountable for a notable portion of the nation’s carbon emissions and energy consumption.
“America’s manufacturing sector is the backbone of our nation’s economy, and President Biden is laser-focused on ensuring this industry—and the workforce it supports—prospers well into the 21st Century. Thanks to the President’s Investing in America agenda, DOE is helping provide the innovative tools needed to improve efficiency and reduce costs—supporting state efforts to bolster manufacturing competitiveness while combatting the climate crisis.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
This infusion of funds aims to assist states in overcoming existing hurdles that have prevented small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) from leveraging innovative, data-centric tools and technologies. By enhancing production efficiency, reducing costs, and fostering new domestic manufacturing ventures, this initiative also aims to reduce harmful emissions. This move aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050, further positioning America as a global leader in the manufacturing sector.
Smart manufacturing fosters interconnectivity, enhancing production and increasing the overall efficiency of manufacturing processes. By facilitating real-time response to shifts in demand and conditions in production facilities and within the supply chain network, smart manufacturing seeks to revolutionize the industry. High-performance computing plays a crucial role in expediting modeling, simulation, and data analysis, which in turn mitigates the expensive “trial and error” phases during development.
As part of this smart manufacturing within small to medium sized enterprises initiative, the 12 chosen states aim to either initiate new or broaden existing state-run programs, with a vision to assist over 3,500 SMMs in accessing smart manufacturing technologies and/or high-performance computing resources. The support includes technical assistance, training, facility assessments, apprenticeships, and direct financial aid aimed at implementing smart manufacturing upgrades.
To cultivate a robust smart manufacturing ecosystem, these programs seek to extend their impact through national partnerships with entities such as the United Steel Workers, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers, Manufacturing USA Institutes, DOE’s Industrial Assessment Centers, and various community-centric organizations including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and community colleges.
The State Manufacturing Leadership Program funding will be administered by the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), an entity pivotal in fortifying and securing the manufacturing and energy supply chains essential for modernizing the nation’s energy infrastructure amid a clean and equitable energy transition.
