The SecureAmerica Institute, led by The Texas A&M University System and managed by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, has released a $4 million project call as part of a nationwide initiative for a secure and resilient U.S. manufacturing and industrial base. The SecureAmerica Institute is a private-public partnership converging technology, economics and policy to secure the U.S. critical manufacturing sector and defense industrial base through applied research, education and workforce development, and technology transition.
The inaugural $4 million project call is in partnership with three Manufacturing USA Institutes, America Makes (additive manufacturing), MxD (digital manufacturing) and ARM (robotics manufacturing). The Manufacturing USA Institutes were created by the Departments of Commerce, Defense and Energy through a 2014 initiative called Manufacturing USA. The institutes are organized to ensure that the United States is the world’s leader in manufacturing innovation in the coming decades.
Technical topic areas for the project call were established through the industry-facing Manufacturing USA partners as well as key university partners, including Georgia Tech, North Carolina State University, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of California–Los Angeles.
The project call will focus on advancing the security and resilience of U.S. manufacturers and their supply chains. Funding will go to competitively selected projects aimed at developing technologies and sharing best practices. For more information, click here.
“The SecureAmerica Institute serves as a free agent to the over half-million manufacturing businesses across the United States. It is clear that the future of a strong U.S. manufacturing sector is a secure and resilient supply chain ecosystem,” said Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. “I look forward to working with the institute on advancing this agenda.”
The SecureAmerica Institute is headquartered at the Texas A&M System RELLIS Campus while drawing on a diverse network of experts and facilities in more than 21 states, and over 75 private-sector and public-sector partners among leading manufacturers, industry groups, research labs and universities.
The Institute’s initial roster of more than 50 industry partners, which includes Raytheon Technologies, GE, Rockwell, SAP, BP, Deloitte and Amentum, ensures that maximum impact is felt across the manufacturing community. The team also includes more than 25 academic institutions.
“With a core value of selfless service, the Texas A&M System is proud to host another institute where the contributions will impact future generations,” said Dr. M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor of engineering and national laboratories for the Texas A&M System.
“The private-public partnership model works,” said Rob Gorham, executive director of the SecureAmerica Institute. “It allows for an extraordinary level of collaboration, something critical given the significant challenges facing manufacturers.”
The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $6.3 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies and the RELLIS Campus, the Texas A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. Systemwide, research and development expenditures exceeded $1 billion in FY 2019 and helped drive the state’s economy.