[Peace-discuss] FW: Durbin Report: Digital Manufacturing Lab will have Statewide Impact

[Karen Aram]

Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:25:26 -0500
From: newsletter at durbin.senate.gov
To: karenaram at hotmail.com
Subject: Durbin Report: Digital Manufacturing Lab will have Statewide Impact










 

Yesterday, President Obama officially announced that UI Labs in Illinois has been selected by the Department of Defense to lead a new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute. This “Digital Lab” will bring the future of American manufacturing to Illinois, create thousands of good paying jobs, improve military readiness and make our economy more competitive.
I first got involved in this project more than a year ago when the President announced in his State of the Union address the creation of three new advanced manufacturing institutes. For several months now, I talked with everyone in the Administration and the Defense the Department who would listen. And they’ve told me how impressive Illinois’ application for the institute was.

UI Labs is bringing together some of the best, most well-respected corporations and academic institutions Illinois has to offer in order to take on this project. Nearly every region of the state will contribute on this project and better yet, nearly every part will have the chance to grow and create jobs because of the unique capabilities of the Digital Lab in Illinois.
In the Quad Cities, regional partners include the Quad Cities Manufacturing Lab, John Deere, Western Illinois University – Engineer Campus and Black Hawk Community College. This new Digital Lab will strengthen the long-term outlook for the Rock Island Arsenal and create new public private partnership opportunities to maintain and expand capacity.
In Southern Illinois, already a home to defense manufacturing at Mid-America Airport, key partners like Southern Illinois University, Boeing, General Dynamics, and Southwestern Illinois College are already working together to improve manufacturing efficiency and processes to create new opportunities for Illinois businesses and workers.
And in Champaign, Illinois, a nondescript building on the University of Illinois’ campus houses the Blue Waters Supercomputer, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world. Locating the Digital Lab in Illinois would not have been possible without the unique tools the University of Illinois brings to the table by way of their engineering expertise, business development experience, and the Blue Waters Supercomputer.
This was a bipartisan effort from start to finish. The entire Illinois Congressional Delegation – including my Senate colleague Mark Kirk – put their party coats on the hooks by the door and came inside and said, “let’s do this together.” And we did. I am proud of our effort, and look forward to working together with UI Labs and their partners to begin building this new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute.

Stay Informed
Stay informed on what I am doing for Illinois and what is happening in Congress by visiting my website.  If you have a question, a comment, or are in need of assistance, please contact my office at one of the phone numbers below or send me an email.
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Sent from the office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin

 		 	   		  
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