RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION ACT

WHEREAS, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed a $1 billion investment to create a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), that would be composed of 15 Manufacturing Innovation Institutes and overseen by the Department of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, the Administration has committed an initial $200 million to support the creation of the first three Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, which will be selected from proposals solicited through competitive processes led by the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy; and

WHEREAS, those Manufacturing Innovation Institutes would serve as regional hubs designed to bridge the gap between basic research and product development, bringing together companies, universities and community colleges, and Federal agencies to co-invest in technology areas that encourage investment and production in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes will have vast economic impacts as they will bolster the regional and local economies of selected sites all while strengthening the national economy and working toward an America built to last and compete globally; and

WHEREAS, domestic manufacturing has been a cornerstone of American prosperity and is critical to the nation’s economic strength and future growth; and

WHEREAS, every dollar of manufacturing output supports $1.34 in output from other sectors, a larger economic multiplier than any other sector; and 

WHEREAS, manufacturing represents 65 percent of U.S. exports, pay for or perform 70% of U.S. industrial research and development, and is critical to the nation’s defense sector industrial capacity; and 

WHEREAS, American manufacturing has lost almost 6 million jobs since 1990, while manufacturing firms have increasingly relocated overseas; and

WHEREAS, American companies are increasingly competing not only with other companies but with other nations; and

WHEREAS, creating innovation ecosystems that support collaborative efforts and leverage public and private resources will encourage the growth of domestic manufacturing; and    

WHEREAS, establishing networks across research institutions, private industry,  manufacturing supply chains, and community colleges will spur innovation and commercialization of products, provide millions of high-paying middle class jobs, and address critical gaps in workforce development; and

WHEREAS, the creation of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, as envisioned in the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, will provide a collaborative framework that addresses the many issues facing American manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, the United States Senate approved, by voice vote, a deficit-neutral budget amendment offered by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) to establish a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors applauds the Administration’s Federal commitment to the creation of these first three Manufacturing Innovation Institutes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congressional support for President Obama’s proposed National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) and the future creation of the twelve additional Institutes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to authorize and fund the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation Act to revitalize the nation’s advanced manufacturing sectors and spur economic growth through American innovation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to:

·         Fund NNMI in a manner and at a level sufficient to ensure that the Institutes will be self-supporting after a prescribed number of years; and

·         Provide mandatory funding for NNMI to provide private sector investors maximum certainty when engaging with a manufacturing institute; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Conference of Mayors calls on private industry and public institutions to invest in workforce training and skills development, leverage regional expertise through the NNMI institutes, and          provide an environment that fosters innovation.