News Brief: Carnegie Mellon Partners With Industry To Receive $30 Million Manufacturing Grant
Contact: Ken Walters / 412-268-1151 / walters1@andrew.cmu.edu
PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University has partnered with several universities, private industries and economic development organizations to win a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense for a new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute.
The U.S. Departments of Defense, Commerce and Energy chose the partnership of Carnegie Mellon and other universities and private industries in Northeast Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia over several other applications. The partnership includes more than 100 companies, universities, colleges and workforce development organizations. Support for the competitively awarded grant was expressed to the agencies through letters from a number of members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation, including Senator Bob Casey and Western Pennsylvania area Congressmen Jason Altmire, Mark Critz, Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy. Strong support was also received from Governor Tom Corbett, DCED Secretary C. Alan Walker and Labor and Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway. The Commonwealth is also contributing matching funds to the effort.
With hubs in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the institute will be used to help develop "additive manufacturing technology," also known as 3-D printing. The technology speeds up production time while decreasing the cost of products, including airplane parts and steel.
The Obama administration announced the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation project in March with plans to create as many as 15 facilities across the country. The Youngstown facility will be the first established in the program, aimed to help create a competitive U.S. manufacturing market that can attract worldwide investors. The project is an offshoot of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which President Obama announced last year at Carnegie Mellon.
“This proposal may be the most truly industry-led research collaboration ever launched,” said CMU President Jared L. Cohon. “All the projects will be selected and directed by industry, with the university partners teaming and competing to meet industry specifications. The goal is nothing less than to shorten the runway between research breakthroughs and shop floor deployment.”
Moving innovations to commercialization has been a strength at CMU for many years. The university’s Greenlighting Startups initiative, a portfolio of campus incubator groups, has helped to launch more than 300 companies and 9,000 jobs in the past 15 years.
“We look forward to working with our partners in industry, academia and government on this exciting opportunity,” said Gary Fedder, CMU professor of electrical and computer engineering who will lead CMU’s efforts with the institute. “With our strengths in materials, nanotechnology, engineering, robotics and manufacturing innovation strategies, CMU is ready to provide the expertise needed to help rejuvenate U.S. manufacturing.”
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