With the recent announcement by the administration on the technology focus and details for the next installment of Advanced Manufacturing Institutes (AMIs) as part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), an assessment of key synergisms of U.S. initiatives in nanoinformatics and the nanomanufacturing enterprise is timely. The two DOD-led institutes will include technology focus areas in Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) and Lightweight and Modern Metals Manufacturing Innovation (LM3I). Both of these conceptual institutes will incorporate overlapping themes including materials by design, supply-chain networking, and manufacturing on demand concepts in order to reduce the cost and time to market for advanced products and components for both military and commercial applications. The benefit will include enhanced U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and efficiency. The challenge is providing the vision, infrastructure, and platform to implement the necessary digital thread providing an impact across industry sectors on a national and eventually global scale.
Considering the impact to the nanomanufacturing community, both of these topical AMIs compliment initiatives the NNN supports in nanomaterials property database development, nanoinformatics, nanomaterials supply chain analysis, and nanomanufacturing network functionality. These initiatives are further supported through the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) Nanotechnology Knowledge Infrastructure Signature Initiative, which supports the concept of materials by design and enhanced modeling capability extending from materials to manufacturing platforms. NKI also backs Sustainable Nanomanufacturing and Nanotechnology for Sensors, which further support materials properties and supply chain database development and utilization tools. Looking ahead, the opportunity to respond to the request for information solicitation from the DOD is available for a short time, after which a request for proposals with additional details and requirements for the AMIs will be posted. The NNN recommends that our members and all nanotechnology stakeholders further review these solicitations and take advantage of this opportunity to seek common areas where the nanomanufacturing enterprise will further benefit from this significant public-private investment.