Manufacturing USA (initially called NAMII) was established in 2012.
Constructed in the image of the #Germany's #Fraunhofer Society, Manufacturing USA was to be a collection of "innovation institutes" scattered throughout the US with a lofty goal to boost American competitiveness and significantly move the needle away from #China.
One of the first institutes launched was the MxD in Chicago... an institute dedicated to supporting the development of "digital #manufacturing" technologies.