Large single-story building with a large parking lot in the foreground
The leaders of Spokane’s American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center Tech Hub have selected a 386,000-square-foot facility as its HQ. (ATC Manufacturing Photo)

Early last week, the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center (AAMMC) announced that the testbed and training center will become reality with a mix of funding from industry, private commitments, and federal funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce Tech Hub award of $48 million. All awardees in this round of funding have not previously received Tech Hub implementation funds, and cover areas such as aerospace manufacturing (Washington & Idaho), microfluidics (Oregon), critical mineral processing (Missouri), and more. The funding for AAMMC will be used to advance high-rate manufacturing on equipment that is larger and more capable than any existing infrastructure for advanced composites manufacturing technology.

“The country that figures out how to use advanced materials to increase manufacturing capacity and aircraft fuel efficiency is going to have a huge competitive advantage,” said U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., in a statement.

Nearly 50 organizations partner in the Hub and include aerospace and industry leaders, national laboratories and agencies, higher and secondary education, venture development, workforce development and labor, government and tribes, and economic development. The Spokane-based American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center is one of 31 consortiums that in 2023 won a Tech Hub designation as part of the Biden administration’s effort to fire up engines of innovation in places that are typically off the beaten tech track.

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