Partnership for Research and Innovation in Sustainable Manufacturing (PRISM): Product, Process and System Integration

Companies working to implement sustainable manufacturing need comprehensive integrated R&D that will address technical challenges at the product, process and systems level, taking the full product and process life-cycle into account. This complex integrative R&D is needed to develop highly innovative, transformational technologies broadly deployable to diverse manufacturing applications. Developing these technologies can best be done by means of an industry-university R&D consortium, driven and supported by industry members in close collaboration with scientists from a research university dedicated to innovation and economic development regionally and across the nation. This proposal to the National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST) seeks Federal funding for a two-year planning project for an industry-driven advanced manufacturing R&D consortium to be called PRISM. The funds will be used to strengthen and expand the existing industry-led consortium established by UK Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing and its core industry partners. Tasks for the planning period are to 1. develop shared-vision R&D roadmaps for the development of technologies underpinning next-generation and/or transformational innovations, and 2. identify and prioritizing research projects supporting long-term industrial research needs, with a focus on developing increased competitive advantage for advanced manufacturing in the U.S., The planning process will help identify critical gaps, technology and skill set requirements, infrastructure needs, etc. common to all potential members. The objective of the planning is to recruit additional members and establish working relationships that will result a stronger consortium with clear, focused R&D goals at a scale sufficient to support the R&D priorities identified. The planning activities will include face-to-face meetings or videoconferences with individual members, one or more regional workshops on integrated sustainable manufacturing R&D, and technology roadmapping exercises using existing roadmaps supplemented and updated by industry and university participants. NCMS will be subcontracted to broaden the industry base and recruit key partners needed to develop the proposed research consortium; IMTI will be subcontracted to facilitate the planning, conduct one or more roadmapping workshops and work with UK ISM on the planning outcomes report and other documentation. The existing consortium -- four large corporations, representing automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics and defense manufacturing -- will be asked to participate in the planning and to help select and recruit innovative small and medium sized companies from their supply chains. State and local government and trade associations in the region will be invited to participate to ensure a unified approach that includes attention to economic development, workforce development and training.