In Virginia today President Obama will unveil new manufacturing initiatives during a visit to the Rolls Royce Crosspointe jet engine disc factory. According to a fact sheet put out by the White House, the president will call for a “National Network for Manufacturing Innovation,” which it says will help up to 15 manufacturing “Institutes” to foster innovation around the country.

The president’s budget calls for $1 billion to create the new network, but in the meantime the administration plans to use $45 million from the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Commerce and the National Science Foundation to create a pilot institute.

Obama has made manufacturing a central part of his economic proposals in recent months, and in doing so his administration has repeatedly highlighted the recent success the industry has had creating new jobs. Here’s how the White House describes its latest initiative:

The Institutes will bring together industry, universities and community colleges, federal agencies, and our states to accelerate innovation by investing in industrially-relevant manufacturing technologies with broad applications to bridge the gap between basic research and product development, provide shared assets to help companies – particularly small manufacturers – access cutting-edge capabilities and equipment, and create an unparalleled environment to educate and train students and workers in advanced manufacturing skills. Each Institute will serve as a regional hub of manufacturing excellence, providing the innovation infrastructure to support regional manufacturing hubs and ensuring that our manufacturing sector is a key pillar in an economy that is built to last.