RAPID

On October 10, 2018,  the Manufacturing USA network including the RAPID Manufacturing Institute, came to Washington, DC to brief 150 members of Congress and members of the general public on their progress. Manufacturing USA also released the 2017 Annual Report which featured each institute and its accomplishments for the year. For example, in toto, the institutes launched nearly 270 major, collaborative applied research and development projects of high priority to broad industry sectors. Equally impressive, more than 191,000 individuals participated in education and workforce training programs, a seven-fold increase over the prior year. 

As part of the Congressional briefing, executives from major industrial powerhouses such as GE and CREE as well as smaller companies such as Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) spoke about how the institutes are enabling members to access technologies, thought leadership and workforce development training to position themselves for greater success in the global marketplace.

RAPID CEO Bill Grieco, echoed the sentiments of many institute leaders by stating, “Many of our members are engaged in projects with the potential to enable paradigm shifts in design, manufacturing technology and resource management. But we need more support and funding at all levels to maximize the impact of our institutes. It is imperative that we make American manufacturing more competitive by developing new technologies and training our workforce to better compete on the world stage.”

After the briefing, 250 attendees assembled in the exhibit hall where they were able to interact directly with institute leaders and their representatives. Attendees were also able to view demonstrations of breakthrough technologies created by institute members.

Read about the major accomplishments of the 14 Manufacturing USA institutes in Manufacturing USA's 2017 Annual Report.