Quigley Congratulates UI LABS on $320 Million Funding for New Digital Lab
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) congratulated Chicago's UI LABS for winning a $70 million dollar grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) to fund the Digital Manufacturing and Design Institute, an applied research lab that will develop and distribute digital manufacturing technologies. The DOD award will be matched with $250 million from a coalition of industry, academic, government and community partners.
"Chicago and the state of Illinois are leading the way to revitalize American manufacturing. This flagship lab will create thousands of jobs in advanced manufacturing fields and spur economic growth for the Chicago area, the state and the country. Congratulations to UI LABS and its partners on this tremendous award that will put Chicago at the heart of innovation, 21st century job growth and the American manufacturing renaissance," said Rep. Quigley.
UI LABS' digital manufacturing research applies cutting-edge computing and manufacturing technologies to reduce the time and cost of production and improves manufacturing machines and factories. The Digital Lab will be housed on Chicago's Goose Island and connected to manufacturing and research sites across the country. The lab will partner with industry leaders and educational institutions to focus on innovative research in advanced manufacturing, transportation, health care, energy and infrastructure that will make Chicago a global technology hub.
Rep. Quigley is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of congressional lawmakers that supports our nation's manufacturers with policies that foster growth, innovation and entrepreneurship. He is committed to efforts that educate and prepare our workforce for the high-skill jobs of the future that will keep the United States competitive in a global economy.
