Legislation introduced to support advanced manufacturing

Pennsylvania Rep. Valerie Gaydos announced Wednesday that she had introduced legislation that would support advanced manufacturing technologies in the state.

In a memorandum to fellow legislators, Gaydos said House Bill 1388 would create and incentivize investments in equipment, infrastructure, and talent retention.

“Fostering innovation is a way that our Commonwealth can advance a stronger, brighter, and better economy,” Gaydos said. “Advanced manufacturing technologies depend on the use and coordination of information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking. In addition, it may include the use of materials and capabilities enabled by physical and biological sciences. Advanced manufacturing enables new methods of manufacturing existing products, as well as the creation of new products emerging from new technologies. Anything we can do to incentive this expanding industry will produce tangible economic activity.”

The bill incentivizes investment by creating equipment grants and allowing for state-administered low-interest loans for the purchase, construction, rehabilitation, or retrofitting of advanced manufacturing facilities, she said. Additionally, the legislation would encourage advanced manufacturing facilities and infrastructures to engage in partnerships with state-related institutions, as well as create the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative Fund and the Advanced Manufacturing Venture Loan Program.

“Pennsylvania’s state-related institutions of higher education are well positioned to collaborate with high-technology industries in the development of advanced manufacturing processes,” Gaydos said. “Incentivizing this collaboration will spur job creation and help ensure Pennsylvania is sought out as a global leader in scientific advances in manufacturing techniques.”

The bill is in the House Commerce Committee currently, she said.