Section 6K. (a) There shall be established within the corporation a center for advanced manufacturing. The purpose of the center shall be to support companies engaged in manufacturing in the commonwealth and shall be administered in a manner that considers the needs of manufacturers in all regions of the commonwealth and supports growth in the manufacturing sector statewide. The corporation shall design and implement the activities of the center, in consultation with the secretary of housing and economic development and the Massachusetts advanced manufacturing collaborative established pursuant to section 10B of chapter 23A.

(b) The center shall facilitate the growth and competitiveness of the advanced manufacturing sector in the commonwealth by: (i) aligning investments and programs with the commonwealth’s priorities for advanced manufacturing; (ii) leveraging existing state and federal programs that support manufacturers to increase the regional impact of advanced manufacturing; (iii) fostering collaboration throughout the manufacturing ecosystem; (iv) aligning programs and investments in support of federal programs to scale critical and secure supply chains; (v) supporting, coordinating and developing advanced manufacturing workforce training programs; and (vi) creating initiatives that advance the commonwealth’s manufacturing plan established pursuant to section 10B of chapter 23A.