The University of Iowa will be a research partner in a national consortium to advance digital manufacturing and design in the United States, said Dan Reed, the UI vice president for research and economic development, who attended a White House ceremony on Tuesday.

The Digital Lab for Manufacturing, based in Chicago, is the nation’s flagship research institute for digital manufacturing and design innovation.

The lab will apply cutting-edge technologies to reduce the time and cost of manufacturing, strengthen the capabilities of the U.S. supply chain, and reduce acquisition costs for the Department of Defense, which is supplying the initial funding.

With the government seeding a $70 million grant, and $250 million commitments from industry academia, government, and community partners, the funds helped form a $320 million institute.                                                                                                                                                                                    

— by Rebecca Morin