MIT Launches Initiative for New Manufacturing to Boost U.S. Industrial Production
Cambridge, MA – May 30, 2025 – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has announced the launch of its Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), a comprehensive effort aimed at revitalizing U.S. industrial production through cutting-edge technologies, strengthening key economic sectors, and fostering job creation. This initiative will integrate advanced research, innovative educational programs, and strategic partnerships with companies across diverse industries to transform and elevate the impact of manufacturing.
MIT President Sally A. Kornbluth emphasized the importance of this initiative in a letter to the Institute community, stating, “We want to work with firms big and small, in cities, small towns and everywhere in between, to help them adopt new approaches for increased productivity. We want to deliberately design high-quality, human-centered manufacturing jobs that bring new life to communities across the country.”
Kornbluth further added, “Helping America build a future of new manufacturing is a perfect job for MIT — and I’m convinced that there is no more important work we can do to meet the moment and serve the nation now.”
The Initiative for New Manufacturing has announced its first six founding industry consortium members: Amgen, Flex, GE Vernova, PTC, Sanofi, and Siemens. These participants will support seed projects proposed by MIT researchers, focusing initially on the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
INM joins MIT’s other significant presidential initiatives, including The Climate Project at MIT, MITHIC (supporting human-centered disciplines), MIT HEALS (focused on life sciences and health), and MGAIC (the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium).
Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer and dean of engineering, highlighted the collaborative potential of the initiative: “There is tremendous opportunity to bring together a vibrant community working across every scale — from nanotechnology to large-scale manufacturing — and across a wide-range of applications including semiconductors, medical devices, automotive, energy systems, and biotechnology. MIT is uniquely positioned to harness the transformative power of digital tools and AI to shape future of manufacturing. I’m truly excited about what we can build together and the synergies this creates with other cross-cutting initiatives across the Institute.”
The initiative is structured around four key themes:
- Reimagining manufacturing technologies and systems
- Elevating the productivity and experience of manufacturing
- Scaling new manufacturing companies and transforming supply chains
- Transforming the manufacturing base with a focus on U.S. opportunities
INM’s activities will include an Institute-wide research program, workforce and education programs like TechAMP, new labs for manufacturing tool development, a “factory observatory” program for student immersion, and key pillars focusing on areas such as semiconductors and biomanufacturing.
The leadership team includes faculty co-directors John Hart, Suzanne Berger, and Chris Love, with Julie Diop serving as executive director. The initiative stems from the Manufacturing@MIT working group formed in 2022.
The launch was previewed at the “A Vision for New Manufacturing” symposium on May 7, featuring over 30 speakers from various manufacturing sectors.
“The rationale for growing and transforming U.S. manufacturing has never been more urgent than it is today,” Berger noted at the event. Love added, “We need to think about the importance of manufacturing again, because it is what brings product ideas to people… There is a real urgency about this issue for both economic prosperity and creating jobs.”
Hart emphasized the enduring importance of manufacturing, stating, “Manufactured products enable our daily lives and manufacturing is critical to advancing the frontiers of technology and society… Working with industry — from small to large companies, and from young startups to industrial giants — will be instrumental to creating impact and realizing the vision for new manufacturing.”
Editor’s note: A seventh founding member, Autodesk, was announced on May 30.
