Crystal Smith
8/30/2015
NT2580-Week 5 Essay

Public and Private Sectors Agree: Strong Manufacturing Is Key to U.S. Innovation and a Competitive Future
Federal Government Seeks Input on Cross-Sector Initiatives to Bolster Manufacturing
New York, May 15, 2012

U.S. scientists, industry leaders, and public officials joined on May 8, 2012, for a discussion on how to nurture talent and fuel new scientific breakthroughs for America to have options that are more competitive. Among the speakers and participants were experts in research and development, renewable energy, smart grid, and advanced manufacturing, representing a number of member organizations of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) from both the public and private sectors. The very important message was that our ability to innovate and build a stronger U.S. economy is very dependent on our manufacturing capability. The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, an interagency effort based at NIST, has released a request for information (RFI) seeking ideas, recommendations, and other public input on the design, governance, and other aspects of public-private partnership, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The NNMI will be the foundation of a U.S. innovation infrastructure of up to 15 linked regional hubs of manufacturing excellence, called Institutes of Manufacturing Innovation (IMIs). The IMIs would join industry, universities, community colleges, federal agencies, and regional and state organizations to speed up innovation by investing in industrially relevant manufacturing technologies with broad applications. ANSI member, James McNerney shared his thoughts “The Technology Imperative: Revitalizing America through Innovation,” in an interview performed by Edward Luce of the Financial Times. On the public side, Patrick Gallagher, undersecretary of commerce