Proposed biomanufacturing center may create competition among states

The proposed Biomanufacturing Excellence Act of 2025 would establish a single National Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center of Excellence within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). H.R. 6089 was introduced by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) with bipartisan cosponsors and paired with a Senate companion bill (S. 3188) led by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ted Budd (R-NC). It authorizes $120 million in FY 2026 for NIST to conduct a competitive process to select one non-federal entity to build and operate the center. Eligible applicants include public-private partnerships, institutions of higher education, and multi-institution consortia. Because only a single awardee will be chosen, the proposed legislation likely sets up what is likely to be a stiff competition among many states which have made life sciences and manufacturing key elements of their innovation strategies.

Useful Stats: R&D's contributions to state economies

Like the broader metric of R&D intensity, the prominence of R&D value added in a state’s economic output has shifted within several states over the past decade. Does it matter? For sustaining a state’s innovation competitiveness, it may, and subsequently it is important to know for many state and regional TBED initiatives. Proximity to the conduct of R&D has been well documented in empirical research to support strong regional innovation economies.

Like the broader metric of R&D intensity, the prominence of R&D value added in a state’s economic output has shifted within several states over the past decade. Does it matter? For sustaining a state’s innovation competitiveness, it may, and subsequently it is important to know for many state and regional TBED initiatives. Proximity to the conduct of R&D has been well documented in empirical research to support strong regional innovation economies. Subsequently many TBED policies are designed to increase and maintain R&D activity within those boundaries as well as ensure the localized spillover effects are maximized. Determining where R&D activity is thriving and the size of its value added to the state’s GDP, particularly manufacturing-related R&D, may help inform those policy decisions. SSTI explores the latest data on state R&D value added in this Useful Stats article.

Useful Stats: Where is US manufacturing? A county-level look at subsector-specific data

Despite a decades-long decline in its share of American jobs, manufacturing remains a foundational part of the U.S. economy as the third largest contributor to its gross domestic product (GDP). Despite the sector’s share of overall U.S. employment declining over time, manufacturing continues to anchor many local economies. In this edition of Useful Stats, SSTI unveils trends shaping the manufacturing landscape, from areas of sustained growth to places undergoing structural change, by examining employment and establishment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) at the county level.

SBA is possibly ramping up manufacturing support with a new advisory committee

The U.S. Small Business Administration posted a notice in the June 9, 2025, Federal Register of SBA’s intent to establish a Manufacturing in America Advisory Committee to “provide strategic guidance, advice, and recommendations to the U.S. government and relevant stakeholders on matters related to growth, supply chain resilience, and innovation of small manufacturing businesses across the country. The committee will act as the collaborative body to ensure the sector's needs, challenges, and opportunities are addressed.

Administration moves to eliminate federal MEP program, sources indicate

Numerous reports across the country indicate the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has taken the first step toward eliminating the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, which, for nearly 40 years, has provided technical assistance, training, research and strategic direction to tens of thousands of small and medium manufacturers across the country. Reports vary as to whether 10 or 11 of the 51 centers across the U.S.

The auto manufacturing footprint could remain unchanged despite the shift to battery electric vehicles

While production of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are expected to decline from 12 million in 2023 to 5.2 million in 2029 and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), powered exclusively by an electric battery, would increase from 1.1 million to 7.3 million vehicles during the same period, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago concludes the change is unlikely to cause much change in the geographic location of automobile manufacturers, according to an