Programs

The Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Institute (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  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 Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, a Manufacturing USA Institute, strengthens U.S. manufacturing through innovations in advanced manufacturing technology, particularly robotics and artificial intelligence, 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 U.S. manufacturing ecosystem. The ARM Institute bridges the gap between funding and impact, identifying problems and spurring solutions.

America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute is a Manufacturing USA Institute and 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. 

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.

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.

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.