Fourteen
federal agencies collaborate to enhance global competitiveness of U.S.
manufacturers and create jobs
The Obama Administration today announced
a $26 million multi-agency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation
Accelerator Challenge to foster innovation-fueled job creation through
public-private partnerships. These coordinated investments will help catalyze
and leverage private capital, build an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and promote
cluster-based development in regions across the United States.
This is the third round of the Jobs
Accelerator competition funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic
Development Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology;
the U.S. Department of Energy; the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and
Training Administration; the Small Business Administration; and the National
Science Foundation (NSF).
"This $26 million Accelerator
Challenge is yet another example of the Obama Administration's commitment to
supporting American manufacturers in building things here and selling them
everywhere," said U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson. "We are so pleased
to join with our federal agency partners to further strengthen the American
manufacturing sector, which creates high quality, good paying jobs.
"Commerce's Economic Development
Administration has a strong record of investing in regional innovation clusters
that foster the job creation and business development crucial to an economy
that is built to last. This Challenge further bolsters our efforts and builds
on the momentum we have seen in the manufacturing sector in recent months,
including the 489,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs that have been added since
January 2010," he said.
Advanced manufacturing is critical to
the health of the national economy and provides essential goods and equipment
directly to consumers as well as to a wide range of industries, including the
energy production, agriculture, medical and computing industries, and the
security and intelligence sectors.
"The Accelerator Challenge is one
way the federal government is helping to support the manufacturing industry, a
vital source of middle-class jobs," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L.
Solis. "The innovative products developed as a result of this federal
grant program will help our economy maintain its global competitive advantage,
while also creating jobs at home."
Manufacturing accounts for 70 percent of
private-sector research and development and 60 percent of U.S.
exports--including a record $1.2 trillion in goods exported in 2011. Over the
last 25 months, manufacturers have created nearly half a million jobs--the best
streak since 1995. The Jobs Accelerator Challenge is designed to assist the
development and implementation of regionally-driven economic development
strategies that will support advanced manufacturing and cluster development.
The goal is to create jobs, grow the economy and enhance the competitiveness of
U.S. manufacturers in the global marketplace.
"'Made in America' is making a
comeback," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "The Advanced
Manufacturing Jobs Accelerator is an opportunity to build on the momentum we're
seeing in U.S. manufacturing and to support small businesses and local
economies through regional innovation clusters. By working with other federal
agencies, we can link, leverage and align our resources to give small
businesses the tools they need to work together, grow and create jobs in the
manufacturing sector."
Approximately 12 projects are expected
to be chosen through a competitive inter-agency grant process. Applicants are
encouraged to submit proposals that will help grow a region's industry clusters
by strengthening connections to regional economic development opportunities and
advanced manufacturing assets; enhance a region's capacity to create
high-quality sustainable jobs; develop a skilled and diverse advanced
manufacturing workforce; increase exports; encourage the development of small
businesses; and accelerate technological innovation.
"Through this partnership, the
National Science Foundation will connect innovations from NSF-supported
advanced manufacturing research with stakeholders who can accelerate technology
commercialization and economic growth," said NSF Assistant Director for
Engineering Thomas Peterson. "NSF is making available up to $1 million for
existing NSF Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology
Transfer Phase II grantees that are part of winning projects.
The deadline for applications is July 9,
2012, and guidelines for submissions are accessible at the manufacturing.gov
website. In addition to the six funding partners, eight other federal agencies
support the initiative: the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, and
Housing and Urban Development; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Denali
Commission; and the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade
Administration, Minority Business Development Administration, and U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office.
"As President Obama made clear, an
American economy built to last will depend on American manufacturing, American
energy and skills for American workers," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven
Chu. "This is why the Energy Department invests in innovative,
public-private initiatives like the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation
Accelerator Challenge that support American leadership and competitiveness in
manufacturing."
As part of President Obama's commitment
to putting more people back to work and creating an economy built to last, the
Administration has invested over $200 million promoting regional innovation
clusters. The Administration also created an interagency task force, known as
the Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters (TARIC), to
develop and administer interagency grant competitions. More than a dozen
federal agencies have participated in TARIC-led grant competitions by providing
grant funding or other forms of support to the winners of the Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenges.
-NSF-
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