Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) today announced it is now a member of eight far-reaching institutes that fall under a public-private partnership known as Manufacturing USA. The partnerships build upon WPI’s 150-year commitment to advancing manufacturing.
The shared goal of this initiative is to "secure the future of manufacturing in the U.S. through innovation, collaboration and education." Manufacturing USA brings together industry, academia and federal agencies to increase manufacturing competitiveness in the United States and promote a viable manufacturing infrastructure. The network encompasses 14 institutes established to date that focus on a range of areas, including material processing, robotics, biotechnology, and sustainable manufacturing.
"Manufacturing USA is all about establishing new pathways for academia and industry to partner on applied research and advanced workforce skills," said Mike Molnar, director of the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO), an interagency team that operates the Manufacturing USA network and is headquartered in the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).