President Obama launched a competition for a new innovation hub in smart manufacturing at the Department of Energy. DOE will receive $70 million or more of federal investment to be matched by at least $70 million from the private sector.
DOE will lead a competition for a new public-private manufacturing innovation institute focused on smart manufacturing, including advanced sensors, control, platforms, and models for manufacturing. The institute will combine manufacturing, digital, and energy efficiency expertise technologies, giving American manufacturers control of energy use across factories. For energy intensive industries – like chemical production, solar cell manufacturing, and steelmaking – these technologies can shave 10-20 percent off the cost of production, according to a White House Fact Sheet.