Federal Announcements

The U.S. Department of Energy announced $275 million for seven projects to strengthen clean energy supply chains and accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing in seven states across the nation. Each project positions the U.S. to enhance its global competitiveness and national security by building domestic supply chains for existing and emerging technologies, built with American labor and materials.

The Department of Defense's Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) met with stakeholders to discuss how the manufacturing innovation ecosystem can support the services' modernization efforts at the Organic Industrial Base (OIB) Modernization workshop Oct. 25-26, 2023, in Chicago. Representatives from MIIs attended the workshop to get a better understanding of the current critical needs for modernizing the OIB and the subsequent opportunities to propose technology projects.

The Biden-Harris administration announced its vision to boost U.S. capabilities for advanced packaging, a key technology for manufacturing state-of-the-art semiconductors.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a historic $169 million for nine projects to accelerate electric heat pump manufacturing at 15 sites across the country. The selected projects are the first awards from DOE’s authorization, invoked by President Biden using emergency authority on the basis of climate change, to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase domestic production of five key clean energy technologies, including electric heat pumps.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of 17 new Industrial Assessment Centers and 10 Building Training and Assessment Centers. Selectees will expand training opportunities for in-demand, high-quality jobs while identifying opportunities for organizations to save energy, improve productivity and reduce waste. Selectees will deliver technical assistance and conduct assessments at small- and medium-sized manufacturer and commercial and institutional buildings.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that IPC International Inc., a global association of electronics industry manufacturers and suppliers, has established a national Registered Apprenticeship program to develop talent through industry standards and formal certification pathways.

Two years after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $3.5 billion from the Infrastructure Law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide. The funding will create new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery-grade processed critical minerals, battery precursor materials, battery components, and cell and pack manufacturing.

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the latest recipients of the Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program. The $16.3 million investment seeks to advance artificial intelligence innovation by strengthening and broadening participation in AI research and education at minority-serving institutions while fostering the development of a diverse, well-trained national AI workforce.

The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs in regions across the country. This is the first phase of the new Tech Hubs program, which is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness.

MxD, the digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute, announced a new partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) to advance digital adoption by small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs).