To help nurture innovation and spur advances in high-tech manufacturing in the Granite State, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) today urged President Obama to establish a Manufacturing Innovation Institute in New Hampshire. In his State of the Union Address in February, the President called on Congress to create a network of 15 high-tech manufacturing institutes that will help drive innovation, create jobs, and ensure that the next generation of innovative breakthroughs happens in states like New Hampshire.

In a letter to President Obama, Kuster described New Hampshire as an optimal location for an innovation institute.

“As your Administration continues its efforts to train American workers, make our country more competitive, and help create jobs, I request that you include New Hampshire in the recently proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation,” Kuster wrote. “With our skilled workforce, first class universities and community colleges, successful public-private partnerships, and high-tech businesses, the Granite State is already at the forefront of the American manufacturing renaissance and is uniquely qualified to host a regional hub of manufacturing excellence.”

Kuster also highlighted successful partnerships between private industry and educational institutions in the Granite State that are already helping match workers with the skills they need to get well-paying jobs.

“To close the ‘skills gap’ that is preventing workers from filling technical jobs, Granite State businesses are working with the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Keene State College, the Advanced Machine Tool Center at Nashua Community College, and innovative initiatives across our state,” Kuster wrote. “With these resources and others, New Hampshire is well positioned to capitalize on federal investments in advanced manufacturing infrastructure.”

The proposed Manufacturing Innovation Institutes would help convene businesses, universities and community colleges, and government to drive manufacturing innovation, spur economic growth, and create jobs across the country. Last year, the Obama Administration launched a manufacturing institute in Youngstown, Ohio as part of a $45 million pilot program led by the Department of Defense.

The full text of the letter is below:

March 13, 2013

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

As your Administration continues its efforts to train American workers, make our country more competitive, and help create jobs, I request that you include New Hampshire in the recently proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.  With our skilled workforce, first class universities and community colleges, successful public-private partnerships, and high-tech businesses, the Granite State is already at the forefront of the American manufacturing renaissance and is uniquely qualified to host a regional hub of manufacturing excellence.

I share your view that, while the private sector is the engine of job creation in our economy, it is the responsibility of government to foster the conditions businesses need to expand, hire, and succeed in today’s increasingly global economy.  That is why I launched my ongoing “Congress at Your Company” series to listen to businesses leaders and workers across New Hampshire and discuss ways the federal government can better support economic growth. 

On factory floors big and small, I have heard firsthand the challenges American manufacturers face in recruiting the skilled workers needed to compete in in the 21^st century economy.  To close the “skills gap” that is preventing workers from filling technical jobs, Granite State businesses are working with the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Keene State College, the Advanced Machine Tool Center at Nashua Community College, and innovative initiatives across our state.  With these resources and others, New Hampshire is well positioned to capitalize on federal investments in advanced manufacturing infrastructure.

From harnessing woody biomass for renewable power, to supplying our military with state-of-the-art electronics, to developing the cutting edge in medical research, New Hampshire employers and educators are at the forefront of the innovative work that will maintain our country’s status as a magnet for investment and job creation.  To maximize the impact of these ongoing efforts, I request that your Administration invest in a New Hampshire Manufacturing Innovation Institute and help ensure that the world’s great innovations continue to be developed here in the United States.  Thank you for your consideration of this request.

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Press Contact:
Rob Friedlander, (202) 225-5206