U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) recently applauded the opening of the second high tech manufacturing hub under the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI).
The legislation, signed into law in 2014, was sponsored by Reed, who serves as the co-chair of the House Manufacturing Caucus. It requires the Department of Commerce, as well as other agencies, to develop high tech manufacturing hubs meant to encourage innovation and economic development. The act, supported by both sides of the aisle, included approximately 100 cosponsors.
The ultimate goal of RAMI is to create the jobs of the 21st century domestically while revitalizing the manufacturing industry in the U.S.
“We care about creating the quality, family-sustaining jobs of today and tomorrow right here in the United States,” Reed said last week. “We were able to start that process with the passage of the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act in 2014, and it’s great to see this concept take off. It’s only right we continue developing our high needs manufacturing industries, which will help bring those jobs back to our shores.”
The newest high tech manufacturing hub will be based in Massachusetts and focused on the development of revolutionary fibers and textiles. Eighty-nine companies, universities and non-profits will take part in the hub, led by the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America at the Samberg Conference Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. Cornell University, which is in Reed’s district, will also play a role in the hub.
Reed’s home district in Western New York saw the first high tech hub built following RAMI’s passage. That hub focuses on photonics, which is the study of light.