# Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act of 2021

This bill is designed to help American manufacturers become more competitive and energy-efficient by supporting the development and adoption of smart manufacturing technologies. The core idea is that factories and manufacturing plants can save money and reduce waste by using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation to optimize their operations.

The bill establishes a federal program to promote smart manufacturing practices across American industries. It provides funding and technical support to help manufacturers—especially smaller companies that might not have the resources to invest in these technologies on their own—upgrade their facilities and processes. The government would work with universities, research institutions, and industry experts to develop best practices and share knowledge about how to implement these technologies effectively. This includes training workers so they have the skills needed to operate and maintain these new systems.

For everyday people, this matters because it could help American manufacturers stay competitive globally, which means more stable jobs in manufacturing communities. When factories operate more efficiently, they also tend to use less energy and produce less waste, which is better for the environment. Additionally, by supporting manufacturing innovation, the bill aims to strengthen domestic production capacity, potentially reducing American dependence on imports for certain goods. The energy efficiency improvements could also help lower production costs, which might eventually translate to more affordable products for consumers, though the direct impact on prices would likely be modest.

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act of 2021

Shaheen, Jeanne

Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act of 2021 This bill addresses the productivity and energy efficiency of the manufacturing sector as well as the development of smart manufacturing technologies (certain advanced technologies in information, automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, and networking). Specifically, the Department of Energy (DOE) may make grants to states for supporting the implementation of smart manufacturing technologies. States must use those grants to (1) provide access to shared supercomputing facilities to small- and medium-sized manufacturers, (2) fund research and development of transformational manufacturing processes and materials technology that advance smart manufacturing, and (3) provide tools and training to aid the adoption of energy management systems and implement smart manufacturing technologies in the manufacturers' facilities. In addition, DOE must expand the scope of technologies covered by its Industrial Assessment Centers to (1) include smart manufacturing technologies and practices, and (2) equip the centers' directors with the training and tools necessary to provide technical assistance in smart manufacturing technologies and practices. DOE must also (1) study how it can increase access to existing high-performance computing resources in its National Laboratories, and (2) facilitate access to the laboratories by small- and medium-sized manufacturers.