The institute, said to be the first of its kind in the US, will be called the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII). It will be funded by an initial US$30 million in federal funding, matched by $40 million from the winning consortium, which includes manufacturing firms, universities, community colleges, and non-profit organizations. "I’m pleased that we are taking steps to strengthen American manufacturing by launching a new manufacturing institute in Ohio,” said President Obama. “This institute will help make sure that the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow take root not in places like China or India, but right here in the United States of America.” Back in March, Obama announced his plan to invest US$1 billion to put in place a network of up to 15 manufacturing innovation institutes around the country that would serve as regional hubs of manufacturing excellence. The additive manufacturing centre will be managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). According to the NCDMM, the new institute will provide the innovation infrastructure needed to support new additive manufacturing technology and products in order to become a global centre of excellence for additive manufacturing. According to a NAMII press release: “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.”
