Department of Defense (DoD)

Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S) remains committed to enabling the delivery and sustainment of capability to our Warfighters. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy office hosts a number of resources, from reports outlining the importance of manufacturing and the industrial base to national security to funding opportunities for businesses. The Department maximizes opportunities for small businesses to compete for DoD prime contracts and subcontracts. A Defense Acquisition toolkit has been designed for the purpose of encouraging small businesses to maximize shared interests.

AFFOA, a Manufacturing USA Institute, addresses the spectrum of manufacturing challenges associated with developing and scaling advanced fibers and textiles from design through pilot production, helping to transition innovative technologies, and training the next generation manufacturing workforce. The institute’s Fabric Innovation Network (FIN) of member companies enables the development and commercialization of textile products that can see, hear, sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, and change color while delivering the conventional qualities of fabrics to benefit the commercial consumer and warfighter. The institute delivers breakthrough capabilities and innovations for national security through de-risking university technologies, non-traditional defense contractor participation, and the development of advanced textile systems. AFFOA centralizes the revolutionary fiber and fabric technology capabilities of startups, manufacturers, industry, and academia and organizes them to produce and manufacture advanced textile systems for the Department of Defense and commercial markets.

The Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), a Manufacturing USA Institute, is a member-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the bioeconomy of the United States. The institute’s work will positively impact not only manufacturing but also healthcare and education & workforce development for the nation. 

The ARM Institute, a Manufacturing USA Institute, strengthens U.S. manufacturing through innovations in advanced manufacturing technology, particularly robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), and prepares the workforce to work alongside these technologies. We foster collaboration between those who can create and maintain robotics and those who can leverage it for maximum economic impact. Working across industry, government, and academia, we leverage a robust ecosystem to fulfill our vision and mission. The ARM Institute, with its national consortium and support from the U.S. Federal Government, empowers the full US manufacturing ecosystem. The ARM Institute bridges the gap between funding and impact, identifying problems and spurring solutions.

AIM Photonics, a Manufacturing USA Institute, offers start-ups, designers and developers, and academic researchers access to a supporting infrastructure of services across the entire silicon photonics development cycle: design, simulation, fabrication, packaging, validation, and a path to volume manufacturing. Their mission is to advance integrated photonic circuit manufacturing technology development in the United States.

America Makes is a national accelerator and the nation's leading collaborative partner for technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation in additive manufacturing and 3D printing.

BioFabUSA, a Manufacturing USA Institute and program of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), is a public-private partnership including companies, academic institutions and not-for profit organizations. The mission of BioFabUSA is to bring together the fundamental tenets of good manufacturing processes and the science of regenerative medicine to create regenerative manufacturing and the trained and ready workforce necessary for that manufacturing.

BioMADE is building a sustainable, domestic, end-to-end bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem.  BioMADE, a Manufacturing USA Institute, has the mission and flexibility to propel new biotechnology products from the laboratory to the commercial market.  In addition to supporting the development of technologies to strengthen American competitiveness, BioMADE is building the workforce of the future by partnering with K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, and professional development organizations. 

The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III office is committed to ensuring resilient, robust domestic supply chains to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing and correct domestic shortfalls in the defense industrial base. The DPA Title III office works in partnership with the Uniformed services, other government agencies, and industry to identify areas where critical industrial capacity is insufficient to meet U.S. defense and commercial needs. The office partners with U.S. private industry to mitigate gaps in the domestic supply chain using grants, purchase commitments, loans, or loan guarantees. The DPA Title III office is comprised of subject matter experts across a wide variety of investment areas, acquisition professionals, skilled program managers, and data analytics and audit professionals.

LIFT, a Manufacturing USA Institute, is a nonprofit, public-private partnership between industry, academia, and government that supports our nation’s economy and enhances its national security by accelerating innovative advanced manufacturing technology and talent development. LIFT solves the manufacturing equation by connecting materials, processes, systems, and talent needed to drive American manufacturing into the future.

MxD, a Manufacturing USA Institute, is where innovative manufacturers forge their futures. In partnership with DoD, MxD, a Manufacturing USA Institute, provides manufacturers with digital tools and expertise to begin building every part better than the last.  Institute members increase their productivity and win more business, powered by a workforce with the digital skills they need for a cybersecure industrial base. MxD also works with DoD manufacturers and contractors to assess and implement digital improvements throughout the industrial base.

Manufacturing USA was created in 2014 to secure U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing by connecting people, ideas, and technology. Manufacturing USA institutes convene business competitors, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to test applications of new technology, create new products, reduce cost and risk, and enable the manufacturing workforce with the skills of the future. Key initiatives include Future Manufacturing Supply Chains Manufacturing, Manufacturing Workforce Development, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Leadership, Covid 19 Manufacturing Recovery, and Clean Energy Manufacturing.

The Materials Genome Initiative is a federal multi-agency initiative for discovering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced materials twice as fast and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods. The initiative creates policy, resources, and infrastructure to support U.S. institutions in the adoption of methods for accelerating materials development. 

America Makes, a Manufacturing USA Institute, is the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing (AM) technology and education. America Makes members from industry, academia, government, and workforce and economic development organizations work together to accelerate AM adoption and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness, focused on three areas – developing AM technology, developing an AM workforce, and maintaining a collaborative AM ecosystem. 

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

NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute, together with its members, recognizes that the Hybrid Electronics technology base presents critically important opportunities for U.S. manufacturing. NextFlex is addressing the need for a strong U.S. manufacturing base through these three key areas: Expanding the electronics manufacturing ecosystem, providing access to a technology hub for pilot-scale Manufacturing, and building the workforce of tomorrow.

The U.S. Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation furthers the priorities of the National Defense Strategy by supporting the readiness and resiliency of military installations and defense communities across the country. Many states, territories and communities across the country support the mission of the Department of Defense. Some are home to military bases, while others manufacture the products and provide the services necessary for national defense. Various programs are available through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.