Washington — President Barack Obama is promoting his manufacturing agenda in Iowa, the state that jump-started his 2008 presidential run.

Obama will visit Alcoa Davenport Works in Bettendorf on Tuesday. The company produces aluminum used in airplanes and  exported around the world.

The president's trip comes as the Republicans running for his job are campaigning in Iowa with a message that is almost universally critical of his economic policies.

The president has been traveling around the country in recent weeks, touting a boost in manufacturing as a way to create jobs and grow U.S. industries in the midst of an economic slowdown.

Last week, he outlined an initiative in which the government would join with universities and corporations to re-ignite the manufacturing sector with an emphasis on cutting-edge research and new technologies.