Obama unveils manufacturing hub on North Carolina trip
Source: Reuters
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(Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced a new public-private manufacturing hub in North Carolina during his visit to the state, seeking to bolster an industry that he considers essential to raising middle class incomes.
The hub, backed by $70 million in federal funding, would connect manufacturers with emerging research on energy-efficient, high-power electronic chips to make electronic devices smaller and faster, he said.
Eager to press economic themes in an election year after struggling with the rollout of his healthcare plan, Obama has said he would like to create a network of 45 of such hubs around the country, but that would require money from Congress, which has not been as enthusiastic about the idea.
"I don't want the next big job creating discovery, the research and technology, to be in Germany, or China or Japan; I want it to be right here in the United States of America," Obama said on the North Carolina State University campus following a tour of Vacon, which manufactures components used in electronic engines.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/15/us-usa-obama-idUSBREA0E0JZ20140115