President Joe Biden is set to return to the state of Ohio Friday afternoon, where he is expected to tout manufacturing, a new 3D printing initiative and will continue to push for the Bipartisan Innovation Act, a bill aimed at boosting semiconductor manufacturing and bolstering competition with China.
The president will visit the United Performance Metals in Hamilton, Ohio, to highlight the Additive Manufacturing Forward initiative announced earlier Friday, which will pair U.S.-based suppliers with large manufacturers to strengthen supply chains through 3D printing.
“In additive manufacturing, producers transmit computer data to industrial 3D printers. In turn, these machines build parts on-demand, directly in suppliers’ own shops,” according to a White House fact sheet. “Firms use this capability to reduce the number of parts required for an application, to make spare parts one at a time as needed, and design high-performing components in various industries ranging from aviation to medical devices.”
The White House said GE Aviation, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Siemens Energy are the initial participants for AM Forward.
AM Forward is a part of the Bipartisan Innovation Act, which includes investments into 3D printing. During the trip, Biden is expected to once again urge Congress to pass the legislation, which aims to boost jobs and domestic manufacturing.
The House and Senate have each passed slightly different versions of the bill, a major priority of not only Biden, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; it now heads to a conference committee between the two chambers.
Biden has said the Bipartisan Innovation Act will also ease the shortage on semiconductors, which delayed production of life-saving medical devices, smartphones, video game consoles, laptops and other modern conveniences. If passed, it would pump $52 billion in grants and subsidies to the semiconductor industry to help boost U.S. production.
“I’m determined to make sure the United States holds the technological high ground in competition with other nations, especially China, as we move forward,” Biden said this week during a visit to an Alabama Lockheed Martin plant building Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, a crucial weapon the U.S. has provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The semiconductor chip problem has been building since coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns shut down major Asian chip factories more than two years ago. Now it could extend past this year, despite the semiconductor industry’s efforts to catch up with demand.
The bill also includes $8 billion for a fund that helps developing countries adjust to climate change, $3 billion for facilities to make the U.S. less reliant on Chinese solar components, $4 billion to help communities with significantly higher unemployment and $10.5 billion for states to stockpile drugs and medical equipment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
