Congress should create tax credits for SMEs and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to encourage investment in SME and supplier digitalization. 

To Do: Create Tax Credits for SME and Supplier Digitalization

Congress should create a “U.S. Manufacturing Digitalization Investment Fund” that would provide repayable, low-interest loans to American SME manufacturers to help finance upfront investment in digital manufacturing technologies and solutions.

To Do: Provide Loans to SME Manufacturers to Help Finance Digitalization

Congress and the administration should align to increase the Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s annual funding to at least $200 million annually.

To Do: Increase Funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership

The administration should direct the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) to provide assessment tools to help SME manufacturers identify and close gaps in their digital workflows.

To Do: Provide Assessment Tools to Help SME Manufacturers Digitize

Manufacturing digitalization promises to transform how products are designed, fabricated, used, and serviced, but more needs to be done to facilitate the uptake of digital technologies by manufacturers in the United States, Korea, and beyond.

Manufacturing Digitalization: Extent of Adoption and Recommendations for Increasing Penetration in Korea and the U.S.

ITIF commends the Trump administration for working to develop an up-to-date, coherent National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. The success of this effort will be vital to enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. advanced manufacturing over the coming decade.

Comments to Office of Science and Technology Policy Regarding a Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing

Congress and the administration should build out the Manufacturing USA network closer to the 45 institutes originally intended.

To Do: Expand Manufacturing USA

Congress should establish an advanced manufacturing scale-up capital program that provides project financing and associated assistance through grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other instruments.

To Do: Establish an Advanced Manufacturing Scale-Up Capital Program

The digitalization of manufacturing is changing how products are designed, fabricated, used, and serviced, just as it’s transforming the operations, processes, and energy footprint of factories and supply chains.

To Do: Quadruple the Budget for the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains

Recommendation

Details

Editors’ Recommendations

Accelerating Digital Technology Adoption Among U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

Related

To Do: Create Tax Credits for SME and Supplier Digitalization

To Do: Provide Loans to SME Manufacturers to Help Finance Digitalization

To Do: Increase Funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership