(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has awarded $9.1 million in cooperative agreements for 22 projects designed to enhance the productivity, technological performance, and global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

Granted through competitive processes to nonprofit organizations across the United States, these funded agreements will be implemented through MEP’s national system of more than 400 centers, field offices, and partners. The funding will help encourage the creation and adoption of improved technologies and provide resources to develop new products that respond to changing market needs.

The projects address one or more of five areas MEP has identified as vital for strategic growth in U.S. manufacturing:

• Responding to evolving supply chains

• Accelerating the adoption of new technology to build business growth

• Implementing environmentally sustainable processes

• Establishing and enabling strong work forces for the future

• Encouraging cultures of continuous improvement

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