Critical Federal Investments in Advanced Manufacturing Necessary to Maintain U.S. Leadership and Economic Growth
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing to examine federal advanced manufacturing programs with a focus on research and development activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and to review H.R. 1421, the Advancing Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2013.
The AIM Act, which was introduced by Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), proposes strategic investments in advanced manufacturing research and development, innovation, and education to help ensure that the U.S. manufacturing sector has the capacity to remain competitive and continue to create jobs. The Act formally authorizes the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) program at NIST to create industry-led public-private partnerships that address the long-term precompetitive challenges of the U.S. manufacturing industry. It also establishes pilot programs at NIST and the Department of Commerce that will help small and medium-sized manufacturers become more innovative and expand their markets. Additionally, the Act authorizes a grant program at the National Science Foundation to provide funding to community colleges to reform and expand advanced manufacturing education.
Ranking Member of the Full Committee Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) described the critical need for the AIM act in her opening remarks. “We simply cannot afford to stand idly by and watch our competitors position themselves to move ahead of us. We need our manufacturing sector to be the most sophisticated in the world, using the newest technologies and the most efficient methods and processes. That is why I introduced the Advancing Innovative Manufacturing Act, which can help ensure the survival of our manufacturing sector and our global leadership by making strategic investments in manufacturing research, development and education.”
Subcommittee on Research and Technology Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) stated in his opening remarks, “Connection to industry is essential and I strongly believe we cannot move American manufacturing forward without building bridges between the public and private sectors. A vibrant manufacturing sector is critical for America’s economic growth and the success of the middle class. We must adopt smart policies that encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, efficiency, and investment in American manufacturing. American manufacturing equals American jobs and a strong economy and we simply can’t afford to lose our capacity to manufacture the breakthrough technologies and products of tomorrow.”
Members and witnesses discussed several components of the bill including a proposal to create a pilot program at the Department of Commerce to provide small and medium sized manufacturers (SMEs) with vouchers to “buy” innovation expertise, including research and development from U.S. universities, federal laboratories or manufacturing extension partnership centers. Mr. Mark Muro, Senior Fellow and Policy Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution remarked, “I think the voucher is an interesting way to try to start a more anarchic and maybe productive set of relationships with smaller firms. We think it’s a deeply American solution. We should have piloted and invented this rather than our European competitors. [Vouchers] are a quick, simple, fast and direct way of getting support to SMEs.”
Members also discussed the importance of advanced manufacturing education. Mr. Muro responded to Member questions by stating, “The Federal government has had a strong interest in STEM but it has been a STEM definition that assumes post-graduate study. So it defaults to the training of engineers and Ph.Ds, which are critical, but we have neglected the so called middle-skill STEM workforce. Our cultural focus and programmatic focus has been towards post-graduates and Ph.Ds and there needs to be some kind of balancing on the federal level.”
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