REMADE Invests $4.86M in New Technology Research for U.S. Manufacturing

The REMADE Institute, a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has allocated $4.86 million for ten new research and development projects. These initiatives are designed to advance technologies for increased materials recovery, remanufacturing, and recycling in American manufacturing.

The funding targets technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, aiming to bring them to TRL 7. This supports efforts to bridge the critical gap between early research and commercial viability, often referred to as the "Valley of Death." The program intends to boost U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and strengthen domestic supply chains.

Projects will focus on various materials, including critical minerals, aluminum, textiles, electronics scrap, and steel. Specific areas of investigation include recovering rare earth elements from e-scrap, using AI for electronics recycling, improving aluminum and steel recycling processes, and repairing diesel engine blocks.

Since its establishment in 2017, REMADE has supported over 100 R&D and workforce development projects. The latest funding round includes both new and existing partners from industry and academia. The institute stated that successful commercialization of these technologies could yield significant energy savings, environmental benefits, and economic growth nationwide.