WPI joins eight Manufacturing USA institutes

WPI is part of eight Manufacturing USA institutes.

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As part of the newly launched Manufacturing USA initiative, Worcester Polytechnic Institute has now joined up with eight public-private institutes, the university announced on Monday.

Manufacturing USA’s goal is to secure the industry’s future in the U.S. by bringing federal agencies together with businesses and universities. There are currently 14 different manufacturing institutes in the network focusing on everything from robotics to biotechnology to sustainability.

Here are the institutes WPI is currently involved with:

Advanced Robotics Manufacturing, centered around robotics.

Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions, focused on best practices in recycling materials.

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, which has been tasked with developing and deploying lightweight materials for manufacturing technologies.

Advanced Integrated Manufacturing in Photonics, which will work to advance integrated photonic solutions from innovation to manufacturing-ready deployment for different applications.

Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation, concentrated on advances in smart sensors and digital process controls.

Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment, focused on new technologies that will help conserve energy and create savings.

Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, focused on scaling up manufacturing of engineered tissues and tissue-related technologies.

National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing and Pharmaceuticals, which will work to increase flexibility in manufacturing and develop the biomanufacturing workforce.

Each institute was established with a five-year cooperative agreement from a federal agency, according to WPI. The typical award is $70 million and that must be matched at least 100 percent with non-federal support.