More than two years ago President Obama announced that his administration would create National Network Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (NNMI) to reinvent manufacturing in the United States. His administration has announced 8 Institutes ranging from light weight metals & composites to digital manufacturing & flexible electronics.
The administration recently announced the ninth and probably last NNMI – an Institute to revolutionize Fibers & Textiles to create and manufacture a new generation of high performance apparel, footwear and outdoor equipment for the military and consumer goods markets. Fact sheet
The federal government runs a winner-take-all competition usually organized by leading universities and large companies for the right to develop and operate the Institute. The winner receives $75 million from the federal government and when matched by private businesses and state governments, the budget is $150 million. The institute has five years to create a sustainable applied research, development and educational enterprise.
The University of Oregon has teamed-up with the research powerhouses of Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and UMass-Lowell to compete for this Manufacturing Innovation Institute on Fibers & Textiles. Assuming this front-running team wins the federal competition, the UO will lead the west coast hub focusing on high performance sustainable products that can be created, designed and manufactured in USA.
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