Next-Generation Manufacturing Technologies Initiative Launched; Program to Enhance Return on Manufacturing Technology Investments 6/1/2004
From: Gerry Graves of the Advanced Technology Institute, 843-760-3793 or graves@aticorp.org, or Neil Reddy of NACFAM, 202-429-2220 ext. 108 or reddyn@nacfam.org, Web: http://www.nacfam.org WASHINGTON, June 1 -- The DoD-sponsored Next- Generation Manufacturing Technology Initiative (NGMTI) launched its plan for transforming the nation's manufacturing sector with a kickoff meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 30. Sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), NGMTI will develop a national manufacturing technology investment strategy to accelerate the transformation of the U.S. industrial base. NGMTI seeks to energize a national consensus for investing in high- leverage, high-impact manufacturing technologies that enable faster delivery of affordable systems for defense while at the same time improving the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. "Our objective is to radically enhance the nation's return on its manufacturing technology investments," said NGMTI General Manager Gerry Graves of the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). "We want to reestablish U.S. leadership in manufacturing science and technology by delivering a plan to double the nation's manufacturing technology investments and increase the return on those investments by a factor of ten," he said. "For the defense community, this means shortening the time and cost to move new weapons from concept to delivery. For the nation's manufacturers, it means recapturing and holding a clear competitive advantage," said Richard Neal of IMTI, the NGMTI Technical Director. "It also means advancing our manufacturing capability, capacity, and productivity to the point where the fundamentally positive economics of manufacturing on U.S. soil enable us to retain a robust industrial base for both national security and national economic growth,' added Leo Reddy from NACFAM, director of the NGMTI Industry/Government Forum. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the Initiative will develop a "strategic investment plan" for manufacturing technologies, launch an industry/government forum of the nation's top manufacturing leaders to help guide NGMTI, and establish a broad implementation program. The program will also establish a national manufacturing testbed network to evaluate new technologies and promote rapid deployment of high-impact solutions. In addition to ATI, the NGMTI management team consists of the Integrated Manufacturing Technology Initiative (IMTI), Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing manufacturing technologies that benefit the U.S. manufacturing community; and the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM), an industry-led, non-profit education, research, and services organization committed to enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. The NGMTI team has identified six primary technology areas for strategic investment: emerging process technologies; model-based enterprises; intelligent systems; enterprise integration; knowledge management; and safe, secure, and reliable manufacturing operations. For information, contact: Gerry Graves Advanced Technology Institute Phone: (843) 760-3793 e-mail: graves@aticorp.org Neil Reddy NACFAM Phone: (202) 429-2220 x108 e-mail: reddyn@nacfam.org www.nacfam.org |