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New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is championing a bill that would encourage universities to align their curricula with the needs of manufacturers. Under the Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015, 25 qualified institutions would receive grants of $5 million per for four years. The program would be administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Will the THINQubator raise money, capture imaginations, and help train New York State’s next generation of manufacturing talent? Part of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, the 1,000 sq. ft. facility in Troy aims to raise $35,000 on Indiegogo, a crowdfunding website, for a makerspace where kids can learn how to use 3D printers, hand tools, power tools, computers, and other equipment.

Is your business a “qualified New York manufacturer” that’s subject to the state’s 0% business income tax rate? As part of the Budget Bill of 2015, the New York State legislature made technical corrections to the corporate income tax reform that was enacted in 2014.

New York State has committed $250 million as part of a Rochester-based, NYS-led application to bring the Integrated Photonics Institute for Manufacturing Innovation (IMI) to the Empire State. Last fall, President Barack Obama announced a national competition for an Integrated Photonics IMI that could be the largest of a series of regional hubs that will accelerate the development of innovative manufacturing technologies.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses drive innovation and job growth. Yet these same firms struggle to adopt additive manufacturing. Why is this the case? In a recent report, the Office of Advocacy in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) identified 11 barriers based on surveys and interviews. The SBA also proposes federal policies to help startups and smaller companies harness the power of 3D printing.

Why did it take so long for manufacturers to embrace 3D printing? The technology isn’t new. In fact, companies like 3D System and Starasys have been around for decades. Yes, there have been significant technological advances in terms of software, materials, and machines. But these great leaps forward are a function of something else. Bryan Dow of Mooreland Partners, a leading independent investment bank, may have the answer.