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America Makes expands with new satellite office
YOUNGSTOWN
America Makes’ reach will expand more than 1,800 miles across the nation.
Based in downtown Youngstown, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute announced plans to open its first America Makes Satellite Center on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas, in partnership with UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation.
“This expansion strategy to establish our first Satellite Center at UTEP marks a new level of national reach for America Makes,” Ralph Resnick, America Makes founding director, said in a statement. “It also capitalizes on the synergies between America Makes and UTEP’s Keck Center as both of our organizations are dedicated to accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing and 3-D printing technologies to increase our nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness.”
A date for when the satellite location’s operations will begin has yet to be decided, said Scott Deutsch, America Makes manager of communications and special programs. America Makes will have one person at the center, he said.
UTEP was selected from a short list of potential members for consideration and compared to America Makes’ requirements.
UTEP’s Keck Center was founded in 2001 as part of a $1 million grant by Los Angeles-based W.M. Keck Foundation. The 13,000-square-foot facility features more than 50 additive-manufacturing machines and more than 50 faculty members, staff, students and researchers.
The Keck Center is now leading an America Makes member team, which includes Youngstown State University, on a $2.2 million award grant to further 3-D printing technologies for rapid manufacturing of aerospace systems.
“This new relationship is beneficial for both America Makes and UTEP,” Ryan Wicker, Keck Center director, said in a statement. “UTEP brings an armada of state-of-the-art equipment, cutting-edge research, education and workforce training to the partnership, and UTEP stands to benefit from the national and international spotlight on America Makes.”
America Makes is a public- private partnership with member organizations from industry, academia, government and workforce-development resources. Founded in 2012, it is the first additive- manufacturing hub created by President Barack Obama’s administration with 45 manufacturing innovation institutes to follow.
America Makes is a tenant of the Youngstown Business Incubator at its fourth building on West Boardman Street.
“They’re a national resource,” said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer at YBI. “They can’t be geographically limited.”
In a statement, Ed Morris, America Makes director, said the first satellite center is just the beginning.
“We envision that the America Makes Satellite Center at UTEP’s Keck Center will be the first of many in a future, expansive network of satellite centers throughout the country,” he said.