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The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) is an interagency initiative made up of public/private partnerships devoted to manufacturing excellence. Under the NNMI, each institute will bring together innovative manufacturers, university engineering schools, community colleges, federal agencies, non-profits, and regional and state organizations to invest in unique, but industrially relevant, manufacturing technologies with broad applications.

These institutes will help to integrate capabilities, focus expertise, and address cross-cutting challenges in advanced manufacturing. Institute activities include, but are not limited to applied research and demonstration projects that reduce the cost and risk of commercializing new technologies or that solve generic industrial problems, education and training at all levels, development of innovative methodologies and practices for supply-chain integration, and engagement with small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. And while the institutes will be regionally focused, the NNMI network will be national, integrated and dynamic, aiming to foster innovation and delivering new capabilities that can impact the manufacturing sector on a large scale.

The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) will serve as a pilot demonstration of the NNMI concept by providing the innovation infrastructure needed to launch a global center of excellence for additive manufacturing. This pilot institute will bridge the gap between basic research and product development for additive manufacturing, provide shared assets to help companies (particularly small manufacturers), access cutting-edge capabilities and equipment, and create an environment to educate and train workers in advanced additive manufacturing skills. Read the DOE press release and blog to learn more about the NAMII.

Federal NNMI partners include the Departments of Energy, Defense, and Commerce, as well as NASA and the National Science Foundation. Learn more about the NNMI.