The National Institute of Standards and Technology is investing $20 million to establish two new artificial intelligence centers focused on U.S. manufacturing productivity and the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure through an expanded collaboration with MITRE.
NIST said Monday that the initiative creates the AI Economic Security Center for U.S. Manufacturing Productivity and the AI Economic Security Center to Secure U.S. Critical Infrastructure from Cyberthreats. MITRE will operate both centers in partnership with NIST, industry and academic institutions.
AI is moving from pilot programs to operational use across federal agencies. The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit convenes government and industry practitioners to examine how AI, machine learning and automation are being applied today; what is working in practice; and what challenges remain as adoption accelerates. Register now to join the conversation.
How Will the New AI Centers Be Used?
The manufacturing-focused center will concentrate on applying AI to improve efficiency, quality and competitiveness across U.S. industrial sectors. The critical infrastructure center will address cybersecurity challenges, including AI-enabled cyber risks, by enabling real-time threat detection, predictive analytics and automated response capabilities.
NIST said the effort is intended to accelerate the transition of AI technologies from research into deployable, real-world systems while reducing reliance on insecure or adversarial AI tools.
“Our goal is to remove barriers to American AI innovation and accelerate the application of our AI technologies around the world,” said Craig Burkhardt, acting under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and acting NIST director.
The partnership builds on MITRE’s role of operating federally funded research and development centers, including the National Cybersecurity FFRDC. The centers will leverage MITRE’s AI Lab, Federal AI Sandbox and tools such as ATT&CK, ATLAS and CALDERA.
“Our partnership with NIST will produce transformational research to accelerate U.S. development and adoption of reliable, secure, and trustworthy AI,” said Mark Peters, president and CEO of MITRE and a 2025 Wash100 Award recipient. “These centers will help move trusted AI where it matters most to deliver the greatest impact for the nation.”
The initiative aligns with America’s AI Action Plan, particularly efforts to accelerate AI innovation and build domestic AI infrastructure.
NIST plans to award up to $70 million over five years to establish an AI-focused Manufacturing USA institute, further expanding federal support for AI-enabled industrial resilience.
