The Power Electronics Industry Collaborative (PEIC) has been awarded a $500,000, two-year grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) Program to fund their proposal titled “Strengthening the Domestic Power Electronics Ecosystem”. NextEnergy, a leader in accelerating advanced technologies and PEIC member organization, will receive over $300,000 as a sub award to support grant activities.
The AMTech program provides support to industry-driven consortia to develop plans that address challenges impeding advanced manufacturing in the United States. Funds provided through the AMTech program will help develop an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing and innovation capabilities of the nation’s fragmented and diverse power electronics industry, and produce consensus-based technology roadmaps to guide cooperative, pre-competitive research and workforce development efforts.
“We are elated to be engaged in this opportunity,” said NextEnergy President and CEO, Jean Redfield. “As an organization, PEIC serves an essential function within the power electronics industry. This award will allow both PEIC and NextEnergy to leverage the collective expertise of PEIC member organizations, among other industry stakeholders, to address opportunities for industry growth.”
Other nations throughout the world have made significant investments to advance power electronics technologies and products that will have a lasting impact on a wide variety of markets and industries, including transportation, consumer electronics, energy storage, and renewable energy. The United States currently trails other nations in developing the ecosystem necessary to support competitive manufacturing of power electronics for the fast-growing global market.
The PEIC, a national consortium of original equipment manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, and other United States power electronics industry stakeholders, will address challenges facing the industry by:
· Convening the United States power electronics industry to assess and document the industry’s current status and competitive position
· Analyzing how technology and policy drivers could provide opportunity for United States leadership in power electronics innovation and manufacturing
· Seeking consensus on detailed technology, product, and policy roadmaps that will enable industry stakeholders to cooperate on pre-competitive research and on achieving common market, policy, and workforce development goals
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that the NIST has selected PEIC for this opportunity,” said PEIC Board President, Mark Bellinger. “The AMTech Program will enable PEIC to conduct a thorough analysis of industry supply and value chains, ultimately strengthening the domestic power electronics ecosystem.”
As a sub recipient of the award, NextEnergy will conduct the research and analysis required to develop detailed industry roadmaps.
“The AMTech Program has provided PEIC and NextEnergy with a critical opportunity,” said NextEnergy Vice President, Industry and Venture Development, Dan Radomski. “NextEnergy played a key role in helping launch the PEIC organization as well as initiating early US competitiveness studies and mobilizing industry to address key domestic challenges. The work completed through this program will address obstacles the US power electronics industry currently faces in advanced manufacturing and innovation, and has the potential to make a significant impact on the economy in the US and in Michigan.”
Source: Next Energy
Click here to be introduced to Next Energy
