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The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) issued a Federal Funding Opportunity for nonprofit organizations to operate state MEP centers in 12 states – Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The objective of the MEP Center program is to provide business and technical services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers within the state of operation. MEP will commit nearly $32 million annually for five years across the 12 states – an expected total of $158 million matched at least dollar-for-dollar by $158 million or more of non-federal funding. A public webinar for applications will be conducted on Monday, March 30th, at 2:00 pm ET. Applications are due June 1. Read the announcement…

There are 11 primary barriers to the adoption of additive manufacturing by tech entrepreneurs and small high-growth firms, according to a new report from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy. These 11 barriers were identified via surveys and interviews with entrepreneurs, private industry and other participants. In addition to identifying the 11 barriers, respondents also provide best practices or recent activities around each of the identified barriers. The report also includes big ideas and recommendations for programs and policies that the federal government should consider adopting to overcome these barriers. In addition, the general recommendations include federal agency-funded, additive manufacturing pilot programs and better coordination of federal innovation initiatives. Read the report…

The National Institute of Standards and Technology-Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP) announced the award of 10 new five-year cooperative agreements to manage Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers. In an open competition, the existing MEP centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, were selected to receive a total of $26 million in funding – an increase of about $10 million (nearly 60 percent). In addition to the additional federal funding:

As the federal and state governments look for methods to support the creation and retention of well-paying science and tech (S&T) and manufacturing jobs, two recent reports have found that R&D tax credits play a vital role in helping keep domestic R&D-intensive firms resilient from economic downtowns and competition from emerging economics. These studies confirm the importance of R&D-intensive firms, which have taken advantage of R&D tax credits, are more likely to report a higher percentage of corporate liquidity; are less likely to cut capital expenditures and employment; and, downsize considerably less than the average firm.

President Obama recently announced that the University of Tennessee was awarded the $259 million Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). The U.S. Department of Energy will commit $70 million to support the project with the remaining $189 million coming from IACMI partners including $15 million from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The University of Tennessee will lead the 122-member consortium in its effort to connect the world's leading manufacturers with universities and national laboratories pioneering advanced composites technology development and research. IACMI will focus on advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites that combine strong fibers with tough plastics. For more information, read the announcement about the IACMI, the White House’s IACMI fact sheet, or visit the IACMI website…

President Obama has announced two new competitions for manufacturing innovation hubs as Congress debates whether or not to fund a national network of innovation institutes (see related article). The first hub would foster research and commercialization collaborations around smart manufacturing for the Department of Energy. The second would develop flexible hybrid electronics technology at the Department of Defense. Each institute would receive $70 million or more of federal funding, with a requirement that federal investment be matched by the private sector.  Read the announcement…

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the solicitation for the second round of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) will be released in the coming weeks. Through this federal funding competition, regions from across the country will compete to receive the designation of manufacturing communities and receive the financial and technical support of 11 federal agencies to achieve economic growth and job creation through manufacturing. Application due dates, eligibility requirements and funding totals will be announced in a future edition of the Federal Register.

In celebration of National Manufacturing Day, the Obama Administration announced it will release a new competition to award more than $100 million to launch a new Institute for Manufacturing Innovation (IMI) focused on Integrated Photonics. The proposed Integrated Photonics Institute will assist in developing an end-to-end photonics ‘ecosystem’ in the U.S. and support research and development efforts across the country on domestic foundry access, integrated design tools, automated packaging, assembly and test, and workforce development in the research area related to photonics. Administered by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the formal request for proposal (RFP) should be released in early November.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area is home to the largest number of manufacturing jobs in the country, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Approximately 510,900 people are employed by manufacturing firms in the Los Angeles metro, about 100,000 more than in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area, which is ranked second for manufacturing employment. Other top metros include New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. Of the top 10 metros in which manufacturing jobs represent the highest percentage of total employment, seven are in the Great Lakes region, with several in both Indiana and Wisconsin. Read the release…

The Manufacturing Institute announced that it is accepting applications for the 2015 STEP Awards program, a national awards program to honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in manufacturing. Part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead initiative, STEP Awards aim to recognize women at all levels of manufacturing. These awards illustrate the widespread impact women have on shaping the industry, whether they are running the company, designing the next big product, or testing innovations on the shop floor. In 2014, the STEP Awards program honored 160 women from over 110 companies for their achievements. To nominate a peer or colleague for this national honor, go to https://mi.onlineapplications.net/applications/.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) released federal funding opportunity award competitions for the operation of MEP state centers. States up for competition include Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The objective of the MEP Center Program is to provide business and technical services to small- and medium-sized manufacturers within the state of operation. MEP anticipates funding 10 MEP Center awards, each with an initial five-year funding commitment. MEP will hold an information webinar on August 21 at 2:00 P.M. EDT for organizations that are considering applying for awards. Applications are due October 15. Visit the MEP State Competition website…

Over the next three years, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) plans to hold open competitions for MEP center cooperative agreements in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The process will begin with a demonstration program this summer, in which competitions will be held in six to 10 states in each of MEP’s six regions. MEP notes that the recompetition is being undertaken to comply with guidelines calling for new competitions at least every 10 years, and will allow MEP to reduce the variation in funding levels across the country.