The Manufacturing USA Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2017 describes the program’s work in helping to move discoveries in the nation’s universities and research laboratories to the shop floor here in America. It highlights the nine Manufacturing USA institutes that were active in Fiscal Year 2017, and documents the network's progress toward increasing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.

The Manufacturing USA network is a public-private program designed with a vision of U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing. Its institutes have a mission to develop game-changing technology and the skills needed to equip our future U.S. manufacturing workforce. Institutes also provide education and training so that American workers have “improved job opportunities and increased economic opportunity in promising technology areas that result in higher wages”.

Highlights of the Manufacturing USA network in 2017 include:

- Manufacturing USA grew substantially in 2017, adding 6 new institutes to make a total of 14 institutes, sponsored by the departments of Energy, Defense and Commerce. At the same time, commitments of support over the program’s life have grown to more than $3 billion, comprised of $1 billion of federal funds matched by over $2 billion of non-federal investment, representing a remarkably effective catalyzation of matching investment.

- Total memberships grew over 50 percent this year to 1,291. Of these, 65 percent are industry members, and of the industry members, 65 percent are small and mid-sized.

- The fourteen Manufacturing USA institutes, sponsored by the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Energy, conducted nearly 270 major applied research and development projects of high priority to broad industry sectors.

- The program saw tremendous growth in institute-led workforce efforts in advanced manufacturing, educator/trainer instruction, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, resulting in over 191,000 workers, students, and educators participating in Manufacturing USA-led workforce efforts — an astounding seven-fold increase this year in the number of individuals enriched by the program.

Read the full Manufacturing USA Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2017.