The Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Office (OSD ManTech) sponsors nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes with headquarters and hubs across the country.  Each institute is a public-private partnership designed to overcome the challenges faced by American manufacturing innovators in a variety of technology areas.  While each institute operates in its own unique ecosystem, the institutes offer common capabilities that:

• Provide access to state-of-the-art tools and equipment that are otherwise beyond the reach of most businesses
• Implement targeted education and workforce development training programs
• Encourage project investments in applied research & industrially-relevant manufacturing technologies  

The projects and programs of the DoD MIIs are game-changing catalysts that serve as a connective tissue uniting innovative industrial ecosystems with emerging technology and market sectors in the United States.  Convening this network of visionaries enables DoD to connect with the ecosystem needed to bring new technologies to U.S. warfighters.  DoD's strategic commitment of $954 million has resulted in ~$2 billion of committed non-federal cost share and over $1.2 billion of committed federal project work. Projects and collaboration opportunities are made available to the institutes' 2,000+ member organizations from across the defense industry, commercial manufacturers of all sizes, start-ups, universities, community colleges, and state and local economic developers in active partnership with the United States federal government.

The development of a vibrant domestic manufacturing ecosystem relies upon assured access for start-ups and small and medium manufacturers to prototyping, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities.  For each specific technical focus area, DoD MIIs define the required industrial commons in order to remove barriers for U.S. companies to become competitive, such as capital intensive equipment, international standards, or test and evaluation facilities.  Many MIIs, therefore, invest in state-of-the-art tools and equipment that are otherwise beyond the reach of most businesses in order to provide their members with a testbed and prototyping environment.  Most of these facilities are investments made by state and local governments to foster the ecosystems created by the institutes.

Each of the nine DoD MIIs have a specific technology focus area and distinct membership model designed to focus R&D on manufacturing challenges shared by the DoD and industry.  Using technology roadmapping and project calls, the institutes encourage their members to form blended teams to propose novel approaches that focus on technology transitioning and commercialization.  Any intellectual property (IP) created is shared among the members with, for example, a non-exclusive royalty-free license for research or experimentation and other licensing requirements for IP commercialization.

To ensure that the U.S. has a workforce that is capable and matched to the challenges of the rapid innovation in the manufacturing industrial base, each DoD MII also has its own unique education and workforce development (EWD) strategy and programs.  The institutes’ programs provide guidance, education, and workforce development activities that increase workforce preparedness for advanced manufacturing jobs.  Such jobs are that of highly skilled technicians, skilled production workers, technical engineers, scientists, and laboratory personnel.  Many activities focus on leading in educating, credentialing, and technical training for advanced manufacturing professionals within each institutes’ unique manufacturing technology area.  There has also been tremendous growth across institute-led workforce efforts especially in educator instruction and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-activities.  The Institutes’ EWD programs are supported by industry, community colleges, universities, surrounding communities, and states.  In 2021 alone, DoD MIIs have benefited over 80.5K participants, including students, educators, and professionals across the nation.  While each institute has their own business and workforce operational plans in collaboration with their sponsoring agencies and partners to meet DoD’s strategic goals, they collectively work across the Manufacturing USA network to expand their initiatives nation-wide.

On behalf of DoD institutes, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force provide the OSD ManTech Program with Government program managers committed to ensuring that the DoD MIIs provide services that benefit DoD.  With the help of the government program management team, the institutes engage with professionals throughout the Department and Military Services.  Key DoD stakeholder groups include leaders in the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); acquisition; and operations and sustainment communities.  These relationships help secure the future of DoD MIIs as tools utilized by DoD to enhance the capabilities of the U.S. warfighter. 

The OSD ManTech Office and its DoD MIIs also participate in Manufacturing USA – a national interagency and manufacturing institute network – and partner with the Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership.  Both programs foster national public-private partnerships focused on advancing American manufacturing dominance.