National Network for Manufacturing Innovation The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation ( NNMI ) is a proposed network of research institutes in the United States that will focus on developing and commercializing manufacturing technologies through public - private partnership s between U . S . industry , universities , and federal government agencies . Modeled after Germany ' s Fraunhofer Institute s , the NNMI will consist of up to 45 Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation ( IMIs ) , each with a unique research concentration , that will serve as regional manufacturing innovation hubs . A pilot institute was established in Youngstown , Ohio , in August 2012 . Three additional IMIs were announced in May 2013 . Proposal . In June 2011 , United States President ' s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology ( PCAST ) recommended that the federal government launch an advanced manufacturing initiative of public - private partnerships to support " academia and industry for applied research on new technologies and design methodologies . " The recommendation called for $ 500 million per year to be appropriated to the Departments of Defense , Commerce and Energy , increasing to $ 1 billion per year over four years . The NNMI was proposed in the President ' s fiscal year 2013 budget and formally unveiled by the Obama administration several weeks later on March 9 , 2012 . The proposal called for a joint federal effort between the Department of Defense , Department of Energy , National Science Foundation and the Department of Commerce ' s National Institute of Standards and Technology to create a network of 15 regional IMIs , funded by a one - time investment of $ 1 billion and carried out over a period of 10 years . The Obama administration again requested $ 1 billion in congressional funding over 10 years for the NNMI in the President ' s fiscal year 2014 budget . On July 30 , 2013 , President Obama called for tripling the proposed number of IMIs established throughout the country from 15 to 45 . Model . The NNMI is modeled after the Fraunhofer Institute s of Germany . According to the original proposal , it will consist of up to 15 linked IMIs with unique research concentrations that will serve as regional manufacturing innovation hubs . Each IMI will be independently run by a nonprofit organization and will form a public - private partnership designed to leverage existing resources and promote collaboration and co - investment between industry , universities and government agencies . The network is designed to address the inconsistency in U . S economic and innovation policy in that federal research and development ( R & D ) investments and tax incentives are not matched by corresponding incentives to encourage the domestic manufacture of the technologies and products that arise from this R & D . The goal of the IMIs is to develop , showcase and commercialize new products and processes for domestic production , as well as to train a manufacturing workforce at all skill levels to enhance domestic manufacturing capabilities . IMI activities include applied research and demonstration projects that reduce the cost and risk of commercializing new technologies or that solve generic industrial problems , education and training , development of methodologies and practices for supply - chain integration , and engagement with small and medium - sized manufacturing enterprises . Critics of the NNMI have argued that it is an example of the government " picking winners " in industry and technology , and that its efforts are misplaced in that taxes and burdensome regulations are the most pressing problems facing U . S . manufacturers . Supporters counter that the U . S . government has a long history of successful investments in R & D to support innovation in U . S . industry . Others argue that the NNMI can help alleviate two key market failure s that plague industrial innovation , namely that innovators generally do not capture the full economic benefits that their innovations provide and thus achieving the optimal level of R & D investment requires government support , and the so - called " valley of death " problem in which businesses tend not to invest in long - term R & D projects with profits that are far in the future . Additionally , supporters argue that the NNMI will create a more attractive domestic environment for manufacturing , and thus will encourage manufacturers to locate production facilities in the United States . Pilot institute . Upon unveiling the NNMI program in March 2012 , the Obama administration immediately reprogramed $ 45 million of existing resources from the Departments of Defense , Energy , Commerce and the National Science Foundation through executive action to fund a pilot , proof - of - concept institute for the program . On May 9 , the Department of Defense solicited proposals from consortiums led by nonprofit organizations and universities to establish an additive manufacturing ( 3D printing ) research institute to serve as the prototype facility . On August 16 , the government announced the winning proposal , the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute ( NAMII ) , led by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining and based in Youngstown , Ohio . The consortium ' s members include 40 companies , nine research universities , five community colleges and 11 nonprofit organizations . The NAMII was established in August 2012 with an initial federal government investment of $ 30 million , while the consortium contributed almost $ 40 million in additional funding . The Obama administration has stated that it expects NAMII to become financially self - sustaining . Expansion . On May 9 , 2013 , the Obama administration announced that it will be establishing three additional IMIs using $ 200 million in funding provided by five federal agencies : the Departments of Defense , Commerce , and Energy , NASA and the National Science Foundation . The three IMIs will have three unique focuses : digital manufacturing , composite materials , and next - generation energy sources . Their management consortiums will be selected through competitive processes , with the Department of Defense overseeing the competitions for the digital manufacturing and composite materials IMIs and the Department of Energy overseeing the competition for the energy IMI . Like the NAMII , the three new IMIs are expected to become financially self - sustaining ; however , " Nature " has reported that even if the NNMI program receives the requested $ 1 billion in funding from Congress , the IMIs will not become self - sustaining without long - term public financing .