The funding, which was awarded to WSU Ventures, is aimed at creating valuable new manufacturing jobs to replace those lost in the defense industry. It will be used to develop and strengthen existing Wichita State institutes, centers and laboratories to support the development of new technologies. The grant will provide $3.9 million of equipment and additional for funding for workforce, export assistance and commercialization efforts including 13 student jobs and six staff jobs.
"We view this award as a demonstration of the EDA's confidence in Wichita State and our ability to develop and employ technologies that will transform the manufacturing and defense industry," said WSU President John Bardo. "The proposed model will increase industry collaboration and technology development resulting in globally-competitive, innovative products and processes, and ultimately, increased profits and jobs."
"Increased industry collaboration will also provide additional applied learning experiences for students, allowing them access to the latest industry-relevant technology."
The grant will provide funding to build, scale and operate manufacturing demonstration facilities to enable innovative small and medium-sized companies to reduce time-to-market development and commercialization of defense-related and marketable products and processes. More specifically, the grant will fund the following projects.
- Add wireless capability and collaboration rooms in the Multi-Robotic Advanced Manufacturing Center in the new Experiential Engineering building for innovation teams to collaborate and engage in virtual training
- Equip and staff the community maker space in the new Experiential Engineering building
- Consolidate the National Institute for Aviation Research's Environmental and Electromagnetic Test Labs to a single location near Spirit AeroSystems and McConnell Air Force Base and expand testing capabilities
- Boost WSU Ventures' capacity for knowledge transfer to industry partners through sponsored research, technology licensing opportunities and expanded commercialization networks
- Allow WSU Ventures and the Center for Entrepreneurship to implement timely and efficient evaluation of university- and community-driven commercialization projects
- Enable the region to conduct research to determine the impact of Department of Defense and related spending on the Kansas economy
Prime objectives of this influential grant are to strengthen and diversify the south Kansas advanced manufacturing supply chain; increase the quality and scope of defense technologies; and increase the competitiveness and sustainability of defense-related businesses.
Resources made possible through the grant will pave the way for innovators, entrepreneurs and industry to quickly and efficiently adopt new technology with reduced financial risk, especially benefiting small and medium-sized manufacturers and allowing them to adopt cost-cutting, high-impact technologies with broad private sector pull and importance to national security.
"The Department of Commerce and EDA understand the vital importance of supporting American manufacturing to ensure America's economic competitiveness," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams. "Wichita State University is quickly becoming a hub of advanced manufacturing, exploring new and innovative technologies and leading the south Kansas designated manufacturing community. EDA applauds WSU for its efforts and looks forward to seeing the results of WSU Ventures and its other cutting-edge programs working to strengthen manufacturing across the region."
Wichita State leads the South Kansas Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) consortia, which has prioritized advanced manufacturing research and innovation investments as the primary catalytic public investments for the region. IMCP is an initiative designed to revolutionize the way federal agencies leverage economic development funds. Through IMCP, the federal government is rewarding best practices – coordinating federal aid to support communities' strong development plans and synchronizing grant programs across multiple departments and agencies.
About WSU Ventures
WSU Ventures assists Wichita State faculty, staff and students in applying and commercializing their collective ideas, intellectual properties, know-how, talents, capabilities, ambitions and energies in ways that benefit the university community, industry and the public. This specialized technology transfer team protects and licenses university inventions and innovations, connects industry partners with WSU researchers, and links entrepreneurs and investors with WSU researchers and technologies.
# # # # #Contact: Tracee Friess, director of communication, research and technology transfer, 316-978-5597 or [email protected].
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