The Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) has earmarked $4 million for research and development of “smart” technologies that could be applied to real-world production settings and help address operational challenges.
CESMII plans to issue R&D awards with a potential six-month performance period each to industry and estimates selected projects will cost between $50,000 to $200,000, with participants shouldering at least 50 percent of the total cost, DOE said Monday.
The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy financed the establishment of CESMII in 2016 as part of efforts to help domestic manufacturers adopt data analytics, sensors and control systems platforms.
“DOE's investments in smart manufacturing allow the American manufacturing sector to become more productive, more energy-efficient, and more competitive on a global scale,” said Alex Fitzsimmons, deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency.