MIT Announces Initiative for New Manufacturing to Boost U.S. Industrial Production
Cambridge, MA – In a significant move to revitalize American industrial production, MIT has launched the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM). This Institute-wide effort aims to infuse U.S. manufacturing with cutting-edge technologies, strengthen critical economic sectors, and stimulate job creation across the nation.
The initiative will focus on advanced research, innovative education programs, and strategic partnerships with companies across various sectors. The goal is to transform manufacturing processes and enhance their overall impact on the economy and society.
“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,” stated MIT President Sally A. Kornbluth in a letter to the Institute community. “We want to deliberately design high-quality, human-centered manufacturing jobs that bring new life to communities across the country.”
The Initiative for New Manufacturing has also announced its initial six founding industry consortium members: Amgen, Flex, GE Vernova, PTC, Sanofi, and Siemens. These participants will support seed projects proposed by MIT researchers, initially focusing on the application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
INM joins MIT’s other prominent presidential initiatives, including The Climate Project at MIT, MITHIC (focused on human-centered disciplines), MIT HEALS (centered 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, emphasized the broad scope 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.” He added, “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 MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing 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 in the U.S.
The initiative plans to establish new labs for developing advanced manufacturing tools and techniques, a “factory observatory” program for student immersion in manufacturing sites, and key focus areas ranging from semiconductors and biomanufacturing to defense and aviation.
The workforce and education component of INM will include TechAMP, an MIT program that bridges the gap between technicians and engineers through community college partnerships, AI-driven teaching tools, professional education, and expanded manufacturing education on campus.
INM’s leadership team includes faculty co-directors John Hart, Suzanne Berger, and Chris Love, along with executive director Julie Diop. The initiative also previewed at a daylong MIT symposium on May 7, titled “A Vision for New Manufacturing.”
“The rationale for growing and transforming U.S. manufacturing has never been more urgent than it is today,” Berger stated at the event. “What we are trying to build at MIT now is not just another research project. … Together, with people in this room and outside this room, we’re trying to change what’s happening in our country.”
