The U.S. Department of Commerce, through its National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has broadened its partnership with the nonprofit organization MITRE Corporation as part of a strategic initiative to fortify American preeminence in artificial intelligence (AI).
This collaboration entails a substantial investment of $20 million by NIST to set up two centers dedicated to the advancement of AI technology solutions, aimed at bolstering U.S. manufacturing and reinforcing cybersecurity measures for critical infrastructure.
Propelling AI Integration in American Manufacturing
“This funding will expedite the incorporation of AI in the American manufacturing sector, thus catalyzing an industrial renaissance,” asserted Deputy Secretary of Commerce Paul Dabbar. “Harnessing AI offers a pivotal opportunity to enhance our manufacturers’ competitiveness and attract foreign investments into America.”
This grant represents a significant stride in executing NIST’s Strategy for American Technology Leadership in the 21st Century, aimed at expediting the transition of critical and emerging technologies from conception to implementation in close collaboration with U.S. industry.
Eliminating Barriers to AI Innovation and Commercialization
“Our objective is to dismantle obstacles hampering American AI innovation and hasten the deployment of our AI technologies globally,” remarked Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Acting NIST Director Craig Burkhardt.
“This new collaborative effort with MITRE will enhance U.S. companies’ abilities to produce high-value products more efficiently, satisfy market demands both domestically and abroad, and stimulate the discovery and commercialization of novel technologies and devices.”
Dual AI Economic Security Centers Address National Imperatives
The AI Economic Security Center for U.S. Manufacturing Productivity and the AI Economic Security Center for safeguarding U.S. Critical Infrastructure against Cyberthreats will spearhead the creation and adoption of AI-driven tools, or “agents,” within these paramount national interests.
These centers will focus on technology evaluations and advancements necessary to maintain American leadership in AI innovation, mitigate risks arising from adversarial AI usage, and decrease vulnerabilities linked to reliance on insecure AI technologies.
NIST will leverage existing capabilities to enhance its expertise and advance the recommendations articulated in the White House’s July 2025 America’s AI Action Plan, which encompasses Pillar I: Accelerate AI Innovation and Pillar II: Build American AI Infrastructure.
These initiatives mark a pivotal beginning in NIST’s structured plan to synchronize innovation-centric research efforts, facilitating the rapid evolution and implementation of critical technologies in areas deemed important to national security.
Drawing from its rich history of public-private partnerships, NIST intends to adopt adaptable and flexible collaborations to develop, test, and realize new advances that solidify U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies like AI, quantum information science, and biotechnology.
The partnership aims to utilize MITRE’s enduring mission of operating federally funded research and development centers. NIST anticipates that these AI centers will catalyze breakthroughs in applied science and advanced technology, thus providing transformative solutions to address the nation’s most urgent challenges.
Public-Private Collaboration Fuels Emerging Technology Deployment
This accord expands NIST’s suite of AI-centric programs and builds upon the public-private partnerships fostered by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), which leads evaluations of both U.S. and adversary systems while contributing to NIST’s development of best practices.
CAISI has instituted voluntary agreements with numerous developers of advanced or “frontier” AI models to facilitate collaborative research and voluntary testing of industry models for national security priorities.
In the forthcoming months, NIST is set to disclose its award for the AI for Resilient Manufacturing Institute under the Manufacturing USA program.
With NIST committed to an investment of up to $70 million over the next five years, alongside at least an equal amount in nonfederal funding, this institute will amalgamate expertise in AI, manufacturing, and supply chain networks to foster manufacturing resilience.
Together, these efforts will significantly bolster NIST’s fundamental research, standards, and technology objectives, tackling barriers that hinder U.S. innovation and ascendancy in AI.
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