AMCC Updates - American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative

View past weekly updates prepared by AMCC’s Executive Director, Matt Bogoshian.

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September 15, 2023:

1. Presentation on DEIA Consulting Toolkit at this week’s National Monday Call We’re excited to have Nathaniel Broadus from Catalyst Connection (MEP) on this upcoming Monday call. We met Nate during an AMCC Roadshow visit to Pittsburgh back in June where we learned about his pilot project helping manufacturers not only hire from a more diverse talent pool, but to also vet their onboarding and retention strategies to build a more welcoming environment for new employees. We look forward to discussing how regions can help their manufacturers put DEIA into practice. Thanks again to the National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT) for joining last week’s call. Here’s how you can connect with Mike Russo and Rob Weinman. You can view past presentations in our full library published here on our website. If you have colleagues who want to join our Monday calls, message AMCC Operations Director, David Van Siclen.

2. “Network of Networks” Manufacturing Momentum Summit Recap! This week’s Manufacturing Momentum Summit was an important step toward creating a national manufacturing Network of Networks, thanks to everyone who participated! Many AMCC leaders from across the nation convened in DC alongside DOD stakeholders, Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, NASA, space community representatives, BFF NGOs and many more. A special thank you to our partners at DOD ManTech for making this Summit happen. Thanks also to DOD’s OLDCC for their leadership bringing out DMCSP communities, to CREC for planning, hosting and facilitating, and to University of Kentucky’s Pigman School of Engineering for their partnership and support to bring together over 100 stakeholders for what everyone hopes will be an annual event. If you attended the Summit, make this a priority: Fill out the event survey you received from CREC. As per Mike Gilroy, filling out the survey is an important action you can take now to communicate the need for an annual Summit so we can connect with other relevant networks, more manufacturing regions, our MEP friends, and broader federal agency participation. If you weren’t able to attend the event, a recap packet is in the works that we will share through a future newsletter. We’re excited to share with you new developments (momentum!) emerging from the Summit in the coming weeks as we work to get more connected with new BFFs and their networks.
3. AMCC’s New Podcast: Manufacturing An American Century Is Out Now! If you haven’t yet listened to the first episode of our new AMCC podcast, Manufacturing An American Century, what are you waiting for! I host leaders across the nation who are doing the doing to advance American manufacturing and sustainable development. Our first episode with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Don Graves, is live! You can find it here on our website and easier still find it on Spotify, Apple Podcast and Youtube. More episodes to come, we expect every other week. Please send feedback and recommendations for future guests, follow our channels, and share with your networks!!
4. AMCC Network Invited to Urban Manufacturing Alliance Annual Gathering High Urgency!! If you are interested in participating in UMA’s Annual Gathering, make sure to sign up now. The event is less than a month away and will take place in Baltimore October 10-12th. Check out their event website here and reach out today if you are thinking about attending.
5. AMCC Roadshow Updates Thanks to new connections made at the Manufacturing Momentum Summit, we are cooking up new AMCC Roadshows for 2024. Plans for visiting Louisiana and Alabama are underway and many more. AMCC has now made 19 stops in 12 states through our first year of roadshows! Check out prior roadshow reports here – more to come soon. If you see value in having AMCC visit your region, reach out to us! To learn more, just send us a note.
6. Updates to the Ecosystem Metrics Tool Project Statement Reflecting the progress we have made over the last few months, we have recently updated this document. We’re hungry for feedback – would this eventual tool bring value to your region? What aren’t we thinking about? Help us advance this important project!
7. Recent Funding Announcements and Guides (Updated: 9/15/2023) USDA Clean Energy Reference Sheets #1 and #2 USDA $700M for BroadBand in Rural Areas USDA $12.5M Private Sector Tech Innovation in Food/Ag DOL $65M for Community College Training Program Expansion DOE $30M for Critical Minerals and Materials for MFG Applications DOE Community Energy Innovation Prize (Due Oct 5) EDA Recompete Pilot Program DOE $15.5B Retooling EV Facilities USDA $800M to strengthen rural infrastructure DOE $300M to Speed Up Electrical Transmission Permitting DOE $3.5M to Provide Workforce Development Opportunities in Energy Communities
8. Selected Research from Andrew Reamer with the Industry Studies Association, and other sources (Thanks David!): Here’s a compelling read from the Federal Reserve describing a new Sourcing Risk Index for U.S. Manufacturing Industries. The paper considers which industries have the most direct and indirect reliance on imported inputs into their value chain as a measure of risk for unforeseen supply chain challenges resulting from geopolitical, ecological, or other crises. Bloomberg follows up on the paper with an article on the risk to the US auto industry.Treasury released remarks on two clean energy credits enabled through the Inflation Reduction Act: 48C and 45X. 45X incentivizes domestic production of crucial inputs to the clean energy economy, while 48C is meant to stimulate investments in advanced energy projects.NIST has a request for information (RFI) on the street seeking comment on their implementation plan for the National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology.NSF announced the funding of four new Science and Technology Centers. The Centers’ focus areas are excitingly next-gen: quantitative cell biology, the intersection of acoustics and quantum mechanics, complex particle systems, and the application of indigenous knowledge to modern environmental and biological sciences.Here’s an article from the Project on Government Oversight on the implications census data has shaping federal funding distribution; a good reminder that our interventions are only as good as the data we base them on.Deloitte released a good article on the electric vehicle transformation, and the challenges that still need to be overcome.Here’s a WSJ article on the movement of investors into battery recycling start-ups.Congress is starting to move on AI. We are keeping a close eye on the outcomes of the inaugural meeting led by Sen. Schumer. Onward! Matt Matt Bogoshian Executive Director matt.bogoshian@amccmail.org 831-601-9509 David Van Siclen Operations Director david.vansiclen@amccmail.org 925-984-6169 P.S. As we carry out our work, let’s remember to use America’s four-year plan to strengthen advanced manufacturing in the U.S. to inform next steps. American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative AmericanMCC.org View the National Call Presentation Schedule HERE This AMCC Update was prepared using Federal funds under award 3070145 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.