We were excited to learn that this week the President traveled to Pittsburgh to celebrate innovation with a visit to TechShop -- the firm that helps entrepreneurs and inventors build low-cost prototypes of their creations. Next week, we too will be in Pittsburgh and at TechShop as part of the Rise of the Rest road trip with Steve Case.
Signalling his support for more policies that encourage entrepreneurship, the President announced three executive actions designed to support advanced manufacturing and innovation:
- $5 billion worth of advanced equipment in federal R&D facilities will be made available to innovators and startups to develop new technologies and launch new inventions. For example, entrepreneurs may be able to access NASA’s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing to produce the high-strength, defect-free joints required for cutting-edge aeronautics, and DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for collaborative projects in additive manufacturing, composites and carbon fiber, and other leading clean energy technologies.
- Five Federal agencies will invest more than $150 million in research to support the Materials Genome Initiative, increasing the Administration’s investment in the manufacturing of game-changing advanced materials. The aim of the The Materials Genome Initiative is to cut in half the time it takes to develop novel materials that can fuel advanced manufacturing and bolster the 21st century American economy.
- In response to the President’s call to action, more than 90 Mayors and local leaders have committed to the ‘Mayors Maker Challenge’. The promise is to expand access to physical locations and new manufacturing and prototyping equipment, support manufacturing entrepreneurship, and inspire young people to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.
Just as the President and leaders across the country are recognizing “makers”, and the importance of supporting entrepreneurship, we can’t wait to celebrate what’s being built right here in America. Check out our infographic here!
Watch Steve Case tell the story of what we’re doing and join us in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Nashville, June 24-27.
