The Manufacturing Council and White House Steering Committee visit Chicago manufacturers

On Thursday, May 28, IMEC had the privilege of joining the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council’s Sub-Committee on Innovation and Research and Development, White House Advanced Manufacturing Partnership officials, Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) and local manufacturers for a round table discussion.

The discussion was held at the UI LABS: Digital Manufacturing Design Innovation Institute building in Chicago and was centered on the state of innovation in the American supply chain ecosystem, and effective strategies to help small manufacturers identify opportunities for innovation, invest in innovation and upgrade capabilities.

The Manufacturing Council, established in 2004, advises the Secretary of Commerce (Sec. Penny Pritzker) on matters relating to the U.S. manufacturing industry, including challenges facing U.S. manufacturers and recommendings programs and policies to help U.S. manufacturers maintain global competitiveness and ways . One of the Council’s main efforts is working to ensure that the United States remains the preeminent destination for investment in manufacturing throughout the world. The Council also provides a forum for proposing solutions to industry-related problems and helps ensure that there is regular communication between the U.S. government and the manufacturing sector.

The White House Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee, identified the need and, made policy recommendations and took collective actions to strengthen innovation and growth of advanced manufacturing in the U.S. domestic supply chain, and the Government worked with the private sector to act on those recommendations., On March 18, the President announced a White House Supply Chain Innovation Initiative focused on building public-private partnerships to strengthen the small U.S. manufacturers that anchor the nation’s supply chains.

UI LABS is a Chicago-based research and commercialization collaborative, bringing Universities and Industries together to define problems, design partnerships and deliver scalable solutions to tomorrow’s most important challenges.

The national Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute brings together over 40 global manufacturing and technology companies with over 30 university, government and community partners. DMDII is reinventing manufacturing for the 21st century. Through applied research and demonstration projects, training and workforce development, and education and outreach, it will infuse advanced digital technologies and big data into today’s manufacturing practices to ensure America will remain on the cutting edge – creating new jobs and strengthening the economy.

IMEC was established in 1996 to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Illinois' small and mid-sized manufacturing firms. By linking long-term plans and related goals with on-site implementation services, IMEC assists manufacturers by identifying performance gaps, solving these gaps, and building a culture to support sustained improvements. IMEC helps companies optimize operating capacity, implement advanced product and process innovations, increase sales and enter new markets, and improve profitability.