WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) initiative to spur American manufacturing introduced today by President Obama in Pittsburgh. The initiative will encourage private industries, universities, and the federal government to work together to invest in emerging technologies that will create high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance our global competitiveness.

“Americans must work together across all sectors to ensure that our country remains the leader in innovation,” Senator Coons said. “The federal government has a long history of partnering with industry and academia to invest in the research and development of innovative technologies.  I applaud the President’s leadership and look forward to seeing the AMP in action.” 

The President’s plan, which leverages existing programs and proposals, will invest more than $500 million to jumpstart this effort. Investments will be made in the following key areas:

  • building domestic manufacturing capabilities in critical national security industries;
  • reducing the time needed to make advanced materials used in manufacturing products;
  • establishing U.S. leadership in next-generation robotics;
  • increasing the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes;
  • and developing new technologies that will dramatically reduce the time required to design, build, and test manufactured goods.

Senator Coons strongly supports the AMP’s goal for developing infrastructure and establishing shared facilities that will allow small and mid-sized manufactures to innovate and compete. Since being sworn-in, Senator Coons has been a strong advocate for emerging and innovative companies, which were the emphasis of his first piece of legislation the Job Creation Through Innovation Act.

To expand our manufacturing sector, Senator Coons believes we must educate and train a new generation of manufacturers. Under the AMP, the Department of Energy will team up with the Ford Motor Company and the National Associations of Manufacturers to make use of the Department’s National Training & Education Resource to do just that.

“It is imperative that we provide opportunities to train a highly skilled workforce that will be able to keep developing groundbreaking innovations,” Senator Coons said. “It is the best way to help create high-paying middle-class jobs at home in America.”

The AMP’s Materials Genome Initiative would invest more than $100 million in research, training, and infrastructure to enable U.S. companies to discover, develop, manufacture, and deploy advanced materials at twice the speed that is possible today, and at a fraction of the cost.

“An investment in advanced manufacturing is an investment in Delaware’s economic future,” Senator Coons said.

Among the manufacturers included in the Partnership are Honeywell and Procter and Gamble. It is being co-led by Andrew Liveris, the chairman, president, and CEO of Dow Chemical, which also has a facility in Delaware.

Click below for more information about the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/06/24/president-obama-launches-advanced-manufacturing-partnership

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