November 2025 Volume 7

FOUNDATION NEWS

BETTER TOGETHER — FIA AND FIERF BUILD PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE FUTURE OF FORGING By FIA Staff

T he Forging Industry Association (FIA) and the Forging Industry Educational & Research Foundation (FIERF) are meeting the challenges faced by forging producers in North America by partnering with universities, workforce groups, and innovation institutes. These collaborations—spanning defense, robotics, composites, and academia—help modernize the supply chain and prepare the next generation of skilled workers, ensuring forging remains a vital force in North America and beyond. LIFT – Driving Innovation in Advanced Materials

FIA’s role in METAL has included promoting the program at Forge Fair, the industry’s flagship trade show, and providing direct connections between program developers and forging producers. By ensuring that forging is included from the outset, FIA and FIERF are safeguarding the future of the forging workforce. ARM Institute – Robotics and Automation for Forging

One of FIA and FIERF’s cornerstone partnerships is with LIFT, the National Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Institute. LIFT is a nonprofit, public-private partnership uniting industry, academia, and government to accelerate advanced manufacturing technology and talent development. For forging, this

The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute is another strategic partner. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, ARM is dedicated to accelerating the use of robotics, AI, and automation across U.S. manufacturing. In 2025, ARM hosted the FIA Automation and Advanced Technology Conference, bringing forging industry professionals together with robotics experts to explore how automation can solve pressing challenges. Topics included labor shortages, process consistency, quality control, and cost competitiveness. For an industry often characterized as physically demanding and equipment-intensive, the integration of robotics can improve safety while enabling higher-precision operations. Through ARM, FIA members gain access to research, pilot projects, and best practices in automation adoption—helping forgers of all sizes to modernize their operations. America Makes – Tying in Additive Manufacturing America Makes is another strategic partnership for additive manufacturing technology and education. Based in Youngstown, this collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing and is managed by the not-for-profit National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). In the fall of 2023, two projects related to forging started. Several Magnet Schools are leading the efforts with funding from America Makes, and direct support from member companies. FIA also supports both projects alongside our members. One project is

collaboration represents both a research pipeline and a workforce pathway. By tapping into LIFT’s vast ecosystem of partners, the forging industry gains access to cutting-edge expertise in materials science, digital manufacturing, and workforce training. The partnership has been particularly critical in elevating forging’s profile within the broader advanced manufacturing conversation—demonstrating that while forging is a centuries-old process, it remains vital to modern innovation and national security. IACMI and the METAL Program – A New Era in Workforce Development Another major collaboration comes through IACMI—the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation— and the new METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning) program. Backed by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Innovation Capability and Modernization Office, METAL is designed to transform the U.S. base metals workforce—including casting and forging—by building a national training network that will sustain and grow talent through 2050. The first METAL pilot hub launched in Pennsylvania in 2024, strategically located in a region that remains a backbone of the metals industry and a hub for the nuclear Navy. With expansion already in planning, METAL represents a scalable model for nationwide metals training.

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2025 52