Advanced manufacturing can create new revenue streams, enable tribal communities to be less dependent on external resources, and keep youth interested, engaged, and prosperous nearer to home. Further, emerging advanced manufacturing technologies allow for the creation of micro-factories that can employ local talent and promote entrepreneurship without disrupting local culture or the environment.

There are converging forces that can promote Indigenous values while enriching lives of tribal members located in remote, rural areas. First, the U.S. government recognizes that to bridge gaps in manufacturing there is untapped potential within underserved communities. Second, technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing) and robotics, as well as new materials, allow high quality- low quantity production of high demand and individualized products. Third, tribal communities do not carry the heavy legacies of old facilities, outdated equipment, or entrenched workforces. They can leapfrog right into future-oriented production technologies without the weight of outdated tech and attitudes. And finally, no academic program can succeed without available work that provides sustainable wages for graduates.

Small scale projects are needed to provide career pathways so that students can thrive while staying in their home communities. Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) that have developed advanced manufacturing programs have had success, but also challenges. Some challenges are unique to the Native nation ecosystems in which TCUs exist, while others are common among all colleges struggling to sustain technology programs. Acknowledging the uniqueness of the ecosystem while adopting best practices that fit each college will allow for appropriate solutions to be implemented. TCUs have an opportunity to dramatically improve their current technology training to prepare a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce.

There is also a workforce truth within the global shortage of workers—the ratio of 1:2:7. For every highly educated invention creator there are usually two formally educated engineers or business managers, and to make the invention or production actually work there are seven technicians. The United States produces those educated people at a good rate but does a poor job training skilled technicians. That is where TCUs have capabilities to adapt to the needs of their tribal communities to respond and give students skills they can use near their homes—without the need to move away.

Publicly accessible curriculum, equipment shared with startups, virtual learning, remote instructors, and academic collaborations will allow new technology programs to thrive at locations that were not viable until recently. Small manufacturers and entrepreneurs can now establish micro-factories located in remote places that have attractors such as a skilled workforce, a high quality of life, and other factors. TCUs have access to resources that can provide full programs that are completely supported and constantly updated.

Micro-factories, fully autonomous engineering and production sites near to a local workforce, allow people to work where they live by forming teams that deliver superior service and support. There are wonderful models, including the Advanced Manufacturing Lab at Navajo Technical University and a partnership in 3D printing between Cankdeska Cikana Community College and the University of North Dakota. Built around new, emerging technologies, these small facilities are powerful examples of future production. Considering changing consumer dynamics, along with limitations to get products sourced from low-cost countries, businesses are rethinking their manufacturing strategies. Setting up a network of small, technologically advanced, flexible micro-factories will not only help manufacturers to produce small batches of customized products suitable for local taste but also will save logistics and transportation costs by as much as 25% to 40% of the product cost.

Tribal identity, self-determination, and service to their respective communities are at the core of every TCU. Sustainability will only occur if the ecosystem within the tribal nation is engaged toward an inclusive economic benefit. This will determine identifying critical stakeholders within the nations along with supportive businesses, organizations, and agencies that all agree with a vision of success that is realistic, sustainable, and beneficial to all.

The advantages of advanced manufacturing within your tribal community include the potential to be self-sustaining, to generate new sources of revenue and local wealth, and provide career pathways within the borders of the community. The challenges are great. Tribal leaders will need to support more entrepreneurial initiatives while protecting the cultures they love and enhance.