The Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology

Institutional Prospectus

America’s future belongs in the hands of those who build it.

September 2026

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America’s independence depends on its ability to build and produce. The Institute gives the people doing that work a voice in the decisions that determine whether they succeed. We publish their knowledge as commentary or research and connect them with leaders who can act on it. Your support makes that work possible.

01Institutional Identity

An independent research institute giving the people who build and power America a voice in shaping its future.

The core proposition

The people who build and power America are too often left out of the institutions that study their industries and shape their future. Their knowledge keeps the country running, yet their voices rarely carry into the rooms where decisions are made.

The Institute exists to close that gap. As an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit, we turn practitioners’ experience into credible, accessible research and bring them into direct conversation with decision makers. America’s industrial future should be shaped by the people doing the work.

Our work

The Institute publishes practitioner research and connects the people doing the work with those making decisions. Support will help us expand that work and give more builders a voice in America’s industrial future.

02Letter from the President and Executive Director

America’s prosperity, sovereignty, and long-term security depend on a strong industrial and innovation base that endures from one generation to the next. Our independence and role in global security rest on the capacity to build, produce, and innovate at home. Sustaining that capacity requires listening to the people whose work is the backbone of America’s strength. Too often, their practical knowledge is missing from the research and institutional discussions that shape America’s future.

At The Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology, we study how manufacturing, energy, and technology depend on one another and on the people and systems that support them. We bring practitioners’ knowledge into public research and connect them with researchers and policymakers through educational convenings. The purpose is to ensure that firsthand experience informs the decisions shaping America’s capacity to produce at home and sustain its independence across generations.

Our work depends on trust, built through lasting relationships and credible research. As a charitable and educational institution, The Institute retains independent control of its research and editorial decisions, presents evidence accurately, and discloses material funding relationships.

Rebuilding America’s industrial strength begins with the work being done here at home. Across the country, people are developing technologies and rebuilding the capacity to produce what our nation needs. Too much of their knowledge and initiative remains outside the institutions shaping our future. The Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology exists to give that work a national platform, bringing the people behind it into research and into direct conversation with those who can help it advance. Our purpose is to help American ingenuity become lasting industrial strength, the foundation of our sovereignty.

This prospectus explains the institution we are building together. Your support helps give the people who build and power America a voice in securing its future.

Thank you,

Patrick J. Wolf, PhD

President & Executive Director

03Mission and Institutional Purpose

Mission. The Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology gives the people building and powering America a voice in shaping its future. Through research, education, and collaboration, The Institute brings practical knowledge and American innovation into public view to strengthen the industrial capacity on which our sovereignty and prosperity depend.

What we are working to improve

• A voice for practitioners. Bring firsthand knowledge into research and institutional discussions that too often overlook the people doing the work.
• A national platform for American ingenuity. Publish and examine the work underway across the country so others can learn from it and build on it.
• Better-informed decisions. Connect credible research with the people shaping industrial investment, public policy, and workforce education.
• Industrial strength across generations. Help preserve and share the knowledge America needs to produce at home and sustain its independence.

Public purpose and institutional boundaries

The Institute serves a public educational purpose. We examine industrial experience for lessons that benefit the wider public and retain independent control over our research and conclusions. Participation and financial support do not purchase favorable coverage or editorial influence.

04The Institute Model

A recurring cycle of practical inquiry and public learning.

The Institute brings builders and practitioners into research from the start, using their experience to identify problems and examine possible solutions. Publications provide a shared base of evidence. Convenings bring practitioners, researchers, and decision makers together to discuss findings, build relationships, and identify opportunities for collaboration. What they learn informs further public research.

• Research. Identify and study industrial problems with the people doing the work.
• Publish. Make evidence and practical knowledge accessible and usable.
• Convene. Bring practitioners, researchers, and decision makers together.
• Connect. Build lasting relationships around shared research and educational interests.
• Collaborate. Develop useful knowledge and share what is learned.

The purpose is to carry learning beyond a publication or a single event. Collaborations can produce accessible findings, datasets, teaching materials, or further educational discussion that helps others understand and address similar problems.

Operating principle

The Institute intends to assess how its publications are used, what participants learn, and whether collaborations generate accessible findings. Documented examples of practical application will help explain the work’s value. Claims about jobs, investment, or policy outcomes will depend on supporting evidence.

05Research Areas: Manufacturing, Energy, and Technology

Our research examines the interconnected systems that underpin America’s industrial strength and sovereignty.

Research across areas

Industrial problems rarely fit within a single field. Semiconductor packaging, for example, depends on manufacturing capability, reliable power, advanced equipment, skilled workers, and capital. The Institute draws on expertise across these areas to understand what enables production and what stands in its way.

06Research and Publications

Practical knowledge made public.

Publishing gives the people building and powering America a platform to share what they know. The Institute combines original research with contributed expertise to examine industrial problems, explain emerging innovations, and make findings useful beyond a single workplace. Our publications give readers evidence they can examine and bring into decisions affecting America’s industrial future.

Publication formats

• Original research reports and policy-oriented educational papers.
• Data analysis and visualizations that help explain industrial conditions.
• Expert Q&As and interviews with practitioners and researchers.
• Guest essays, commentary, and contributed analysis selected for relevance and quality.
• Republication of valuable outside research or commentary with permission, clear attribution, and links to the original source.
• Short educational briefs that make technical and industrial developments understandable to a broader audience.

Editorial independence

Contributors, sponsors, advisors, and research collaborators may provide information and suggest questions. The Institute retains control over publication decisions and its conclusions. Published work will identify material project funding and relevant author conflicts. Funding does not guarantee publication, favorable treatment, or predetermined findings.

Research and editorial standards

Research should explain its sources, methods, assumptions, and limitations clearly enough for readers to evaluate its conclusions. Publications should distinguish facts from estimates, analysis, and opinion; link to underlying evidence where practicable; and correct material errors visibly. Guest and republished work should clearly identify authorship and relevant disclosures, with original sources credited and permissions secured where required.

The Institute intends to make core educational findings and summaries publicly accessible. Any restricted access or paid products must have a documented rationale tied to the mission. External review may identify factual errors or protected information, but may not suppress findings or dictate conclusions. Confidentiality and intellectual-property terms must be agreed before work begins.

07Academic and Research Partnerships

Connecting university research with the people building American industry.

Universities and research institutions bring technical expertise and research capacity. Practitioners bring firsthand knowledge of what works and where progress stalls. The Institute seeks to connect them around industrial questions, helping practical experience inform rigorous research and bringing useful findings to wider audiences.

Potential forms of collaboration

• Co-publishing or disseminating research that aligns with The Institute's mission.
• Faculty Q&As, technical explainers, and expert commentary.
• Joint research projects with clearly defined methodology, funding, authorship, and publication rights.
• Roundtables that pair university researchers with manufacturers, utilities, technology firms, investors, and policymakers.
• Student research opportunities, practicums, internships, or fellowships tied to industrial questions.
• Use of university expertise to strengthen datasets, methodologies, and peer review.
• Public events and educational programming that translate specialized research to broader audiences.

Partnership terms

Project agreements will define the research or educational purpose, responsibilities, funding, and intended outputs. They will address data use, authorship, publication rights, and disclosures while preserving independent findings. Institutional partnerships will be announced with the participating institution’s authorization.

Partnership philosophy. Academic collaboration should connect practical industrial questions with rigorous research, support the development of future researchers and practitioners, and make useful findings available to public audiences.

08Convenings and Events

Bringing the builders into the conversation.

The Institute brings practitioners together with researchers and decision makers to examine industrial challenges and share practical knowledge. Receptions, briefings, and working sessions help people understand one another’s work and build the trust needed for collaboration.

Event formats

• Informal receptions that build relationships around shared industrial and educational interests.
• Small roundtables focused on specific technical, regulatory, workforce, supply-chain, or infrastructure issues.
• Research briefings tied to Institute publications or outside expertise.
• University-industry discussions and research showcases.
• Working sessions where practitioners and researchers compare evidence and identify unanswered questions.
• Site visits and educational tours that provide firsthand understanding of industrial work.
• Learning beyond the event

The value of a convening extends beyond attendance. The Institute helps participants stay connected around shared questions and opportunities for research or educational collaboration. Where appropriate, discussions will inform subsequent publications or nonconfidential summaries that make useful knowledge available to a wider audience.

Participation depends on the program’s purpose, relevant expertise, and available capacity, with opportunities for nonsponsors as well as supporters. Events involving public officials remain subject to applicable participation and ethics rules. Attendance does not imply government endorsement.

09The Institute Network

Connecting the people rebuilding America’s industrial strength.

Practical knowledge often stays within a workplace or profession. The Institute seeks lasting relationships across those boundaries so people can share experience, find relevant expertise, and contribute to research beyond their own field. Outreach includes the communities below; these categories do not represent confirmed institutional partnerships.

• Industry: Manufacturers, suppliers, infrastructure operators, utilities, builders, logistics, industrial services.
• Technology: AI, software, automation, compute, semiconductors, advanced systems, cybersecurity.
• Capital: Investors, lenders, private capital, family offices, economic-development finance, philanthropy.
• Academia: Universities, research centers, faculty, laboratories, students, technical institutes.
• Government: Public officials, agencies, legislative staff, economic-development organizations, regulators.
• Policy & Civic: Think tanks, associations, nonprofits, journalists, educators, and community institutions.

The network’s value comes from continued exchange and the trust built through working together. The Institute helps participants connect around shared research and educational interests, bringing firsthand experience into broader discussions about America’s industrial future. Participation does not guarantee introductions, access to donor information, commercial opportunities, or influence over The Institute’s decisions.

10Partnerships and Problem Solving

A mission-aligned way to help useful relationships and solutions form.

The Institute connects relevant expertise to shared industrial questions when doing so advances research or education. A problem raised by one participant may reveal a challenge affecting many institutions. Collaborative work should produce understanding that others can use, with any private benefit incidental to the broader public purpose.

What this can look like in practice

• A manufacturer describes a workforce bottleneck; The Institute convenes researchers and educators to examine the issue and develop findings useful to other employers, workers, or training institutions.
• A researcher is studying an industrial technology but lacks operator perspective; The Institute introduces practitioners who can explain implementation constraints.
• A technology company has developed a capability relevant to manufacturing or energy; The Institute may invite it into a broader educational discussion where the capability is substantively relevant.
• A policymaker is evaluating an industrial issue; The Institute assembles evidence and subject-matter experts capable of explaining real-world implications.
• Two institutions are independently studying the same supply-chain or infrastructure problem;
• The Institute recognizes the overlap and facilitates an initial conversation.
• An event or publication reveals a recurring problem; The Institute converts that signal into a research project, roundtable, dataset, or educational product.
• Collaborative projects will have an identifiable public benefit and an appropriate way to share useful knowledge. The Institute’s role centers on research, education, and the exchange of expertise; projects must remain consistent with that charitable purpose.

Boundary. Sponsorship, donations, or advisory status do not entitle any person or organization to introductions, government access, transactions, favorable research, or commercial referrals. Connections are made when they are relevant to the mission and appropriate to the people involved.

11Advisory Council

A non-governing body that contributes expertise, perspective, and institutional reach.

The proposed Advisory Council will contribute experience, challenge assumptions, and strengthen research questions. It will remain separate from the governing Board of Directors. Advisory status alone carries no authority to vote on board matters, approve expenditures, bind The Institute, or speak on its behalf unless otherwise authorized.

Illustrative advisor responsibilities

• Provide subject-matter perspective on research priorities and emerging industrial issues.
• Review or react to selected research concepts, methodologies, or draft questions when appropriate.
• Recommend experts, institutions, authors, data sources, and potential collaborators.
• Participate in selected roundtables, briefings, interviews, or public programming.
• Help The Institute understand how different parts of industry, academia, capital, and government are experiencing a problem.
• Identify organizations that may wish to support, collaborate with, or learn from The Institute.

Governance and conflicts

Advisors should disclose actual and potential conflicts involving their employers, clients, financial interests, research, and Institute funding. A conflicted person should not participate in the approval of a related arrangement. Advisory service may be voluntary; separately defined paid work must have a legitimate purpose, written scope, and reasonable compensation approved by disinterested decision-makers.

An advisor may suggest that an employer or client support The Institute, subject to applicable duties and employer rules. The advisor should disclose the Institute relationship and any compensation, obtain required approvals, and avoid participating in conflicting decisions. The proposed Institute policy is no commissions or personal payments tied to sponsorship referrals. A contribution must not be exchanged for favorable treatment in the advisor’s other role.

What advisors can expect

• A clear charter and term of service.
• Periodic updates on research, programs, and institutional priorities.
• Defined opportunities to contribute expertise without creating open-ended obligations.
• Transparent conflict-of-interest and disclosure expectations.
• Website recognition featuring the advisor’s name, professional bio, and headshot, with their consent and subject to employer restrictions and any required ethics approvals.

12Corporate Support

Annual giving that sustains The Institute’s mission.

Corporate supporters help sustain the research, educational programs, and relationships needed to strengthen America’s industrial and technological capacity over time. Their contributions support independent inquiry and the exchange of knowledge among researchers and practitioners. Companies give because they believe this work serves the nation’s long-term prosperity and security.

Core rule. Corporate support funds The Institute and its programs. It does not purchase editorial control, research conclusions, political influence, guaranteed introductions, commercial referrals, or privileged access to public officials.

Annual levels of support

These levels recognize the amount contributed, rather than different packages of services. Companies may choose a level that reflects their size, financial capacity, and commitment to the mission. There are no revenue or employee-count eligibility requirements, and a larger company may choose any level. Contributions of other amounts are welcome. The proposed structure remains subject to formal approval.

Basic acknowledgment and communication at every level

• Company name and logo acknowledgment on The Institute’s website, with permission, identifying the annual support level. Supporters may decline public recognition.
• Periodic updates on research, publications, and institutional progress.
• An annual summary of activities and accomplishments made possible by supporters.
• Notices and invitations to appropriate Institute programming, subject to availability, program relevance, and any registration fees. Invitations do not include guaranteed seats, complimentary tickets, meals, or special access.

The same basic acknowledgment and communication apply at all five levels. Higher giving does not create an entitlement to additional services, private briefings, or influence.

Annual contributions generally support The Institute as a whole, with allocation determined by The Institute in furtherance of its mission. Restricted support for a specific initiative or separate event underwriting may be accepted by written agreement.

The Institute will keep supporters informed about its work and use contributions responsibly. Annual giving does not include commercial services or paid placement in newsletters and recurring publications. Any separate arrangement will be documented independently.

What support does not confer

• Guaranteed introductions to government officials, investors, customers, or other members of the network.
• Preferential policy advocacy or political access.
• Endorsements of the sponsor's products, services, or commercial claims.
• Guaranteed publication, speaking slots, research outcomes, or favorable coverage.
• Sponsor vetoes over methodology, conclusions, publication, or the selection of other participants.
• Commercial lead generation, deal brokering, placement-agent services, or commissions tied to transactions.

Ways organizations participate

13Philanthropy and Institutional Support

A diversified funding base protects independence and allows ambitious work.

The Institute seeks individual gifts, foundation grants, and corporate contributions to sustain independent research and public education. Support helps make findings accessible, connect relevant expertise, and develop an institution capable of serving future generations. Donors may support the overall mission or an agreed research or educational initiative.

Potential sources of support

• Individual donors who support the mission and want to strengthen American industrial capacity.
• Private and family foundations aligned with manufacturing, innovation, workforce, energy, education, economic opportunity, or civic research.
• Companies making annual mission-support contributions or separately supporting an approved initiative.
• Project-specific grants supporting research, data, educational programs, or convenings.
• University or research collaborations with shared funding where appropriate.
• Mission-related earned revenue that is evaluated for consistency with exempt purpose and unrelated-business-income rules.

Funding principle

A diversified funding base supports institutional independence and continuity. Contributions will be accepted on terms consistent with The Institute’s mission and editorial independence. Restricted gifts will support the agreed purpose, while unrestricted giving provides flexibility to meet institutional needs.

14Governance Independence and Compliance

Clear rules make the network more useful because partners know what the institution stands for.

The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of The Institute’s mission and resources. Advisory participation is separate from governing authority. Research, partnerships, and funding relationships must remain consistent with the charitable purpose and the institution’s governing documents.

Institutional accountability

The Institute’s governance framework calls for oversight of budgets and significant commitments, disclosure and management of conflicts, and responsible use of funds. Defined agreements will clarify the roles of advisors, contributors, funders, and partners. Research and editorial decisions remain independent of financial support.

Political activity and public policy

The Institute must not support or oppose candidates for elective public office, directly or indirectly. Its funds, staff time, events, publications, accounts, and contact lists must not be used to advance a candidate’s campaign. Directors, staff, and advisors may engage personally in political activity, with a clear separation from Institute resources and institutional representation.

The Institute may study public policy and recommend reforms consistent with its educational purpose. Any lobbying must remain within applicable limits. Personal political activity by directors, staff, or advisors must remain separate from institutional work and resources.

Independence statement. Sponsors, donors, advisors, partners, and contributors may inform The Institute's work. They do not control its conclusions. The Institute retains responsibility for research standards, editorial judgment, program selection, and compliance with its charitable mission.

152027 through 2029 Vision

What The Institute can become as research, network, and funding capacity mature.

The Institute’s long-term ambition is to help sustain America’s ability to produce and innovate across generations. Priorities for 2027 through 2029 focus on building a durable research platform, strengthening relationships across institutions, and making knowledge useful to people working on industrial challenges. Their pace will depend on available resources.

Institutional priorities

Research platform. A consistent pipeline of rigorous, accessible work across manufacturing, energy, and technology, with attention to connections among fields and the practical implications of findings.

Industrial data. A mature Industrial Index and supporting data products that make state, sector, infrastructure, and capacity trends easier to understand.

Academic network. Sustained relationships with university departments, research centers, faculty, and students that connect inquiry with operating experience and develop the next generation of expertise.

National convening. Recurring discussions and working sessions that build lasting relationships among practitioners, researchers, and public institutions, with learning carried into subsequent work.

Advisory council. A respected group of experienced advisors who broaden expertise without compromising governance or editorial independence.

Contributor network. A roster of practitioners and researchers able to publish, participate in Q&As, and contribute to educational programming.

Corporate support. A stable base of companies whose annual contributions sustain independent research and public education, with acknowledgment and communication appropriate to philanthropic support.

Institutional durability. Funding, staffing, governance, and knowledge transfer sufficient to sustain the mission beyond any one project, donor, or individual.

Long-term ambition. Become a trusted institution whose research, education, and collaborations contribute to America’s industrial strength, innovation, prosperity, and security for generations to come.

16Contact and Participation

Multiple paths into the institution, each with a clear purpose.

The Institute welcomes people and organizations committed to strengthening America’s industrial future through research, education, and collaboration. Participation can help bring practical experience into public learning and build relationships that sustain the work over time.

Ways to engage

• Advise: Join or contribute to the Advisory Council or a project-specific expert group.
• Partner: Build a research, university, educational, data, or convening partnership.
• Publish: Contribute expertise through a Q&A, essay, research paper, dataset, or approved republication.
• Convene: Participate in a reception, roundtable, briefing, working session, or field program.
• Support: Provide corporate sponsorship, philanthropic support, or project funding.
• Connect: Introduce researchers, operators, institutions, or experts whose work aligns with the mission.

The Institute for American Manufacturing & Technology

Website: iamtpolicy.org

Primary contact: Patrick J. Wolf, President & Executive Director; Jeffrey Roman, Director of Operations

Contact The Institute to discuss research, participation, or support.

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