On August 13, 2026, Apple opened its new Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) in Houston, aiming to help small and medium-sized businesses, workers, and students acquire smart manufacturing skills through free training and hands-on experiences with advanced equipment and interactive laboratories. The center is located inside the same facility that builds and ships Apple’s advanced artificial intelligence servers, which will also begin producing Mac mini computers this year.
Hands-On Training in Manufacturing Technologies
The center spans 20,000 square feet, and Apple experts provide knowledge related to the processes used to manufacture the company’s products. The curriculum includes lessons on advanced manufacturing principles for final assembly and design considerations for printed circuit board assembly, along with hands-on workshops using equipment and a representative production facility.
During the opening event, the first group of small and medium-sized business leaders participated in hands-on training led by Apple engineers. The training covered methods such as machine-learning-supported quality control and advanced automation, with exercises focused on identifying production challenges and adapting to them in real time, using a three-dimensional table and factory-floor equipment, as well as assembling and laser-engraving a product.
Second U.S. Manufacturing Learning Site
The Houston center is Apple’s second U.S. site dedicated to manufacturing education. It builds on the experience of the Apple Manufacturing Academy, which the company opened in Detroit in August 2025 and which has so far helped nearly 1,000 American workers, students, and entrepreneurs learn smart manufacturing technologies and integrate artificial intelligence into production processes.
The academy also offers flexible, on-demand virtual programs covering automation, improved quality control, and machine learning with vision, along with professional development training. As the Houston center’s programs expand, hands-on training will also become available to local college students.
Part of Apple’s U.S. Manufacturing Expansion
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Houston facility in less than nine months, built a factory, started production, and shipped the first advanced artificial intelligence servers from the production line. He added that the company would begin producing Mac mini later this year.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the center’s opening as an important step in fulfilling Apple’s promise to bring manufacturing back to the United States, saying that the center would provide American workers with the skills needed to lead the next generation of technology. Senator Ted Cruz, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Representative Christian Menefee, and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis also attended the opening event, along with officials and community partners.
Apple had announced earlier this year that it would move Mac mini production to Houston. It also said that partners in its American manufacturing program had, since the announcement of a $600 billion commitment last year, invested in the design and production of custom chips, advanced components, and front glass in the United States. Companies interested in the center can register to receive notifications about future sessions.