In March 2012, President Barack Obama announced a proposal to create a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) as part of the Administration’s overall Advanced Manufacturing initiative. Led by the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO) the NNMI is envisioned as a collaborative effort to produce regional hubs of innovation that ultimately accelerate the development and adoption of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.

As part of the process, a pilot institute, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), was established in Youngstown, Ohio in May 2012 and includes a team of companies, research universities, community colleges, and non-profit organizations committed to furthering additive manufacturing. Concurrently, an interagency team was organized through the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to report on a preliminary design for the NNMI and develop recommendations for the full network of institutes using input from nearly 900 stakeholders. Three additional institutes are in the works, led by the Departments of Defense and Energy. Additional information on these planned institutes will be posted at the Advanced Manufacturing Portal.

For additional information, go to the NNMI website.