ACMI and Johns Hopkins University Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate U.S. Manufacturing and Reindustrialization
WASHINGTON, D.C. April 2, 2026 — The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (“ACMI”) and Johns Hopkins University (“JHU”) Whiting School of Engineering (“WSE”) today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership to support the revitalization of the United States’ domestic manufacturing base.
This collaboration represents a broad, long-term agreement designed to accelerate the scaling of emerging technologies across multiple technical domains at each of ACMI’s campuses, along with the integration of world-class academic research, leading safety protocols and cutting-edge industrial infrastructure. The initial phase of the partnership is focused on advanced manufacturing and the defense industrial base.
ACMI is building a nationwide network of industrial campuses designed to support both commercial and defense sectors. These campuses co-locate manufacturers, suppliers, and logistics providers to lower traditional barriers to entry for companies, significantly reduce the timeline from initial R&D to full-rate production for manufacturers, and provide efficient scaling space for existing producers.
“This partnership with the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering is critical to our mission,” said Paul Kadzielski, Chief of Staff at ACMI. “Johns Hopkins University is a global leader in several fields shaping the American industrial base. Their depth and breadth of expertise will support our work to accelerate the reindustrialization of the United States for the 21st century. Together, we are creating a scalable blueprint for advanced manufacturing that will bolster American economic resilience and strengthen our national security.”
An initial focal point of the collaboration is ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub (NISH) and Munitions Campus in southern Indiana. To ensure this facility serves as a global gold standard for both efficiency and security, JHU WSE is leading several critical initiatives including:
State-of-the-Art Safety Assessments: Conducting comprehensive safety evaluations to optimize facility design for safety and efficiency.
Operational Safety Planning: Developing rigorous frameworks to govern complex manufacturing environments in a way that prioritizes safe scaled production of energetics and other key materials and mechanisms.
Advanced Energetics Training: Designing and implementing specialized safety training programs for personnel involved in energetics production.
“Through this partnership with ACMI, WSE is helping to build the workforce needed to sustain advanced manufacturing at scale,” said Peter Zeender, Executive Director of the Office of Research & Translation. “We are developing rigorous safety training, creating specialized educational pathways in energetics and advanced manufacturing to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce for stable, high-quality careers. By aligning research, education, and workforce development, we are doing our part to ensure that these facilities not only lead technologically, but also provide long-term economic opportunity for the communities they serve.”
As the collaboration evolves, ACMI and JHU WSE will continue to expand their joint efforts across multiple facilities and areas of focus, ensuring the U.S. industrial base remains resilient, innovative, and at the leading-edge of technology.
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About the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI)
The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI) is an industrial group focused on revitalizing the United States’ manufacturing base by building essential infrastructure and providing strategic investment. Through its affiliates—ACMI Federal, ACMI Capital, and ACMI Properties—ACMI aligns public and private capital to bridge critical gaps in domestic production, strengthening supply chains and increasing economic resilience. Learn more at www.ACMIGroup.com.
About Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering
Johns Hopkins University Whiting School is a world leader in research and education. Through its collaboration with industry leaders like ACMI, the university applies its technical expertise and safety research to solve the most pressing challenges facing national security and domestic industrial infrastructure. Learn more at www.JHU.edu.
