[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 34023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13945]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Notice of Public Workshop: ``Designing for Impact: Workshop on 
Building the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation''

AGENCY: Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO), 
housed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
announces the second workshop in a series of public workshops entitled 
``Designing for Impact: Workshop on Building the National Network for 
Manufacturing Innovation.'' This workshop series provides a forum for 
the AMPNO to introduce the National Network for Manufacturing 
Innovation (NNMI) and its regional components, Institutes for 
Manufacturing Innovation (IMIs) and for public discussion of this new 
initiative that was announced by President Obama on March 9, 2012 \1\. 
The discussion at the workshop will focus on the following topics: 
Technologies with Broad Impact, Institute Structure and Governance, 
Strategies for Sustainable Institute Operations, and Education and 
Workforce Development. The Designing for Impact workshop series is 
organized by representatives from the Department of Commerce, NIST; 
Department of Defense; Department of Energy; National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration; and National Science Foundation.
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    \1\ http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/09/remarks-president-manufacturing-and-economy.

DATES: The second public workshop in this series will be held on 
Monday, July 9, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Event 
check-in will open at approximately 7:00 a.m. Eastern time. On-line 
sign-up for the workshop will close at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on 
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Tuesday, July 2, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The second public workshop in this series will be held at 
Corporate College East, 4400 Richmond Road, Warrensville Hts., OH 
44128. Corporate College East is located on the campus of Cuyahoga 
Community College. Members of the public wishing to attend the public 
workshop must sign-up in advance and must do so online at: http://eventgov.com/NNMIworkshop2Cleveland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Schen, (301) 975-6741, 
[email protected]; or Prasad Gupte, (301) 975-5062, 
[email protected]; or Carol Tolbert, (216) 433-6167, 
[email protected]. Additional information may also be found at: 
http://manufacturing.gov/amp/cleveland2012.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Legal Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b)(1).

    The proposed NNMI initiative focuses on strengthening and ensuring 
the long-term competitiveness and job-creating power of U.S. 
manufacturing. The constituent IMIs will bring together industry, 
universities and community colleges, federal agencies, and U.S. states 
to accelerate innovation by investing in industrially-relevant 
manufacturing technologies with broad applications to bridge the gap 
between basic research and product development, provide shared assets 
to help companies--particularly small manufacturers--access cutting-
edge capabilities and equipment, and create an unparalleled environment 
to educate and train students and workers in advanced manufacturing 
skills. The President's proposed FY 2013 budget includes $1 billion for 
this proposed initiative.
    Each IMI will serve as a regional hub of manufacturing excellence, 
providing the innovation infrastructure to support regional 
manufacturing and ensuring that our manufacturing sector is a key 
pillar in an economy that is built to last. Each IMI also will have a 
well-defined technology focus to address industrially-relevant 
manufacturing challenges on a large scale and to provide the 
capabilities and facilities required to reduce the cost and risk of 
commercializing new technologies.
    In his March 9, 2012 announcement, President Obama proposed 
building a national network consisting of up to 15 IMIs.
    On December 15, 2011, Commerce Secretary John Bryson announced the 
Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office (AMNPO) that is hosted 
by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) \2\. The 
AMNPO is charged with convening and enabling industry-led, private-
public partnerships focused on manufacturing innovation and engaging 
U.S. universities; and designing and implementing an integrated ``whole 
of government'' advanced manufacturing initiative to facilitate 
collaboration and information sharing across federal agencies.
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    \2\ http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2011/12/16/commerce-secretary-john-bryson-lays-out-vision-department-commerce.
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    The AMNPO coordinated and held the first ``Designing for Impact: 
Workshop on Building the National Network for Manufacturing 
Innovation'' on April 25, 2012, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 
Troy, New York. On May 4, 2012 the AMNPO issued a Request for 
Information (RFI), seeking public comment on specific questions related 
to the structure and operations of the NNMI and IMIs. The RFI was 
published in the Federal Register and may be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-04/pdf/2012-10809.pdf. Comments in 
response to the RFI are due on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 
October 25, 2012.
    Individuals planning to attend the second public workshop must 
sign-up in advance. See sign-up information in the DATES and ADDRESSES 
sections above.
    Announcements of additional workshops may be found at: http://www.manufacturing.gov/amp/ampevents.html. Future workshops will also be 
announced in the Federal Register.

    Dated: May 31, 2012.
Phillip Singerman,
Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-13945 Filed 6-7-12; 8:45 am]
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