Northeast Ohio selected for $160 million in federal advanced manufacturing funding

A coalition of more than 70 regional partners, including Lorain County Community College, has been selected to bring up to $160 million in advanced manufacturing investment to Northeast Ohio over the next decade. In a press release sent Tuesday, Case Western Reserve University announced that the Northeast Ohio coalition that it leads had been selected by the U.S. National Science Foundation, or NSF, as a Regional Innovation Engine area, enabling the funding to go toward a plan to grow the industry and create thousands of jobs. The NEO-SMART, or Northeast Ohio Strengthening Manufacturing for American Resilience through Technology, program includes a mix of private industry, government entities, nonprofit groups and institutions of higher education. It will coordinate funding and planning to help grow the region's advanced manufacturing industry in areas like electric vehicles, robotics and computer chip and semiconductor production. "This coalition really looked to bring all regional partners together, from research to industry to universities as well as economic and workforce development," Tracy Green, vice president of Strategic and Institutional Development for LCCC, told The Chronicle-Telegram. "Lorain County Community College is laser focused on leading the workforce strategy of this transformational effort that will help support thousands of jobs as well as companies growing here in Northeast Ohio." Case said that partners in the program had already committed $120 million and the coalition hoped to attract $500 million in additional investment on top of the up to $160 million in federal funding the region could receive. If the group obtains the maximum NSF funding available to it, the region will bring in $7.5 million in each of the first two years, $15 million annually for the following three years and $20 million for each of the final five years as different project milestones are met. "This is great news for Northeast Ohio and for the entire state of Ohio," said Gov. Mike DeWine in Tuesday's news release. "When federal dollars come to our state to strengthen manufacturing and build up our workforce, every Ohioan benefits — and I am grateful for the extensive partnership effort that made this award possible." Lorain County Community College is a central member of the coalition, as LCCC President Marcia Ballinger will serve as both a member of the NEO-SMART's board and as a principal investigator, one of the directors of the project. "This is a defining moment for Northeast Ohio and a powerful affirmation of what is possible when our region comes together around a shared vision," Ballinger said in a statement. "As a founding partner and member of the NEO-SMART Governing Board, Lorain County Community College is proud to play a leadership role in advancing the Engine's workforce strategy. We are committed to working alongside our partners to build the talent that will power advanced manufacturing and our region's economic future. Together, we're creating more opportunities for people, more skilled talent for employers and a stronger, more competitive Northeast Ohio." The college is primed to lead the coalition's worker development efforts because it has long been on the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing education and especially in micro electromechanical systems, or MEMS, manufacturing. Micro electromechanical systems are often collectively referred to as microchips. LCCC began its program in 2013 under program coordinator Johnny Vanderford, and the college still offers Ohio's only bachelor's program in MEMS. The college has since also added a bachelor's program in smart industrial automated systems engineering technology and an associate's degree in multicraft industrial maintenance. "Lorain County and the entire Northeast Ohio region has such deep roots in manufacturing," Green said. "And with the rise of new technologies, whether it's advanced materials, automation, robotics, or digital technologies, there is a renaissance in the space and the opportunities are here and will be here in abundance… This is a sweet spot for community colleges; especially Lorain County Community College with our track record in developing a workforce for advanced manufacturing that not only meets employer's needs, but also provides wonderful employment opportunities for our students." The press release from Case laid out some of the specific goals of the program, saying that the coalition would utilize Ohio's established industries in metals, polymers and chemicals to make the region a national hub for advanced manufacturing, integration of artificial intelligence into design, automation and robotics. The coalition hopes to "create or retain" 20,000 jobs across the 18-county region, and to train 12,000 new workers for the advanced manufacturing field over the next decade. NEO-SMART will also seek to strengthen the domestic supply chain in the automotive, aerospace, defense and medical industries, increase corporate research and development spending by 50 percent and to strengthen corporate-academic partnerships to facilitate the creation of hundreds of new start-up companies. "The manufacturing challenges of the next decade will be solved by academic researchers, industry partners and factory floor teams who work in collaboration to turn scientific insight into commercial reality," said Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler in the release. "We are tremendously grateful for the extraordinary support and advocacy we received from federal, state and local elected officials that led to this funding opportunity. Together, we will advance the region's growth and prosperity." Northeast Ohio's coalition was one of 12 recipient groups for the NSF Engine program, a federal program that drives investment to research, grow and sustain various industries across the country including artificial intelligence, mining, seafood, medicine and defense. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.