University Of Rhode Island Research Foundation

MEP RHODE ISLAND

PURPOSE: THE AWARD RECIPIENT WOULD BE GRANTED FUNDING THROUGH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO OPERATE A HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (MEP) CENTER IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROVIDE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION SERVICES TO PRIMARILY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THROUGH ITS COLLABORATIONS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS, THE CENTER PLANS TO ENHANCE MANUFACTURING IN RHODE ISLAND BY CONTINUING TO DELIVER CRITICAL SERVICES TO MANUFACTURERS IN FOUR AREAS: OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH STRATEGIES, AND SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION. THE CENTER WOULD SERVE AS A TRUSTED BUSINESS ADVISOR TO DELIVER A COMPREHENSIVE ARRAY OF INTERNAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AS WELL AS MANAGE EXTERNAL RESOURCES FROM PARTNERS AND THIRD-PARTY VENDORS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THE MEP PROGRAM IS TO ENHANCE COMPETITIVENESS, PRODUCTIVITY, AND TECHNOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE IN UNITED STATES MANUFACTURING. THE CENTER?S ACTIVITIES WOULD HELP SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN RHODE ISLAND TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE GLOBAL MANUFACTURING MARKETPLACE. THE CENTER'S SERVICES WOULD DIRECTLY IMPACT THE RHODE ISLAND ECONOMY THROUGH INCREASED AND RETAINED SALES, NEW CLIENT INVESTMENTS, COST SAVINGS, AND ADDED AND RETAINED JOBS. THE CENTER?S STRATEGIC GOALS TO IMPACT RHODE ISLAND MANUFACTURING ARE TO:POSITION SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS TO DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMERS BUILD A COMPETITIVE WORKFORCEEXPAND INTO NEW MARKETSADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGYDEVELOP RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAINS ACCELERATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MANUFACTURING PIPELINE, MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM, AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THIS AWARD ARE PRIMARILY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN RHODE ISLAND. INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES EXTEND BEYOND RHODE ISLAND, AS THE CENTER WILL BECOME PART OF THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK, WHICH INCLUDES 51 MEP CENTERS LOCATED IN EACH STATE AND IN PUERTO RICO.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT PLAN TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

RHODE ISLAND MANUFACTURING TO ACCELERATE THE DEFENSE ECOSYSTEM (RI MADE)

THIS INVESTMENT WILL SUPPORT THE RENOVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 17,203 SQ. FT. OF LEASED SPACE WITHIN AN OVERALL 113,00SQ FT CAMPUS, LOCATED AT 50 SIMS AVENUE IN PROVIDENCE, RI. 401 TECH BRIDGE ADVANCED MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER WITH ITS FULL COMPLEMENT OF LAB FACILITIES, FLEXIBLE WORK AND MEETING SPACE FOR TRAINING INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, PROMOTE COLLABORATION BETWEEN PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC ENTITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, PRODUCTS, AND PROCESSES. THIS ADVANCED MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER WILL ASSIST COMPANIES IN RHODE ISLAND TO BRING ADVANCED MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES, PROCESSES, AND PRODUCTS TO MARKET FASTER AND REALIZE BUSINESS EXPANSIONS, ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES TO RHODE ISLAND AND SURROUNDING REGION, AND CREATE AN ESTIMATED 2,000 NEW JOBS.

OCEAN TECH WORKS, LED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND RESEARCH FOUNDATION AND POLARIS MEP, WILL SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN OCEAN ROBOTICS, SENSORS, AND MATERIALS INDUSTRIES IN RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OCEAN-BASED TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES AND THEIR EXTENSIVE SUPPLY CHAINS WITHIN THE REGION. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT INDUSTRY-DRIVEN TRAINING PROGRAMS IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND ROBOTICS. TOGETHER WITH 46 MEMBERS, INCLUDING STATE AGENCIES, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, THE SECTORAL PARTNERSHIP WILL TAILOR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS TO EQUIP INDIVIDUALS WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND SUPPORT GROWTH IN CNC MACHINISTS AND PROGRAMMERS, MACHINE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS, TIG WELDERS, ROBOTICS TECHNICIANS, COMPOSITE TECHNICIANS. THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT PEOPLE FROM A DISTRESSED AREA/POPULATION.THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE OCEAN TECH HUB, WHICH EDA DESIGNATED A TECH HUB IN 2023. THE TECH HUB SEEKS TO DEVELOP, TEST, AND COMMERCIALIZE EMERGING MARITIME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / MACHINE LEARNING-ENABLED ROBOTICS AND SENSORS.

RHODE ISLAND MEP

PURPOSE: THIS PROJECT PURSUES KEY PRIORITIES AND THEMES IDENTIFIED BY NIST, SPECIFICALLY THE EFFORT TO ?REVITALIZE MANUFACTURING, SECURE U.S. SUPPLY CHAINS, INVEST IN R&D, AND TRAIN AMERICANS FOR THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE ? TO ENSURE THAT THE BEST, DIVERSE MINDS IN AMERICA ARE PUT TO WORK CREATING THE INNOVATIONS OF THE FUTURE.? 1 BY CONNECTING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS (SMMS) TO RESOURCES AT MANUFACTURING USA AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS, THE MEP ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TEAM CAN ANCHOR MEP?S POSITION AS A TRUSTED ADVISOR IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT WAVE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND INCREASE MANUFACTURING USA?S CAPACITY TO DEPLOY TECHNOLOGY ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF MANUFACTURING SECTORS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE MEP NATIONAL ADVANCED TECH TEAM (MATT OR ?THE TEAM?) IS A PART OF MEP?S LONG-TERM EFFORTS TO ENSURE SMMS HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO MANUFACTURING USA AND OTHER GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROGRAMS. THE TEAM ASSISTS MEP CENTERS (PARTICULARLY FIELD STAFF) WHEN THEIR CLIENTS ASK FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE THAT EXCEEDS CURRENT SERVICE OFFERINGS. THE TEAM COORDINATES WITH THE CENTERS TO DELIVER VALUE TO SMMS BY FACILITATING ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROJECTS THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS OPERATIONAL AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES. THE TEAM LEVERAGES ITS AWARENESS OF THE BROAD RANGE OF MANUFACTURING USA CAPABILITIES TO IDENTIFY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT THAT SOLVE PROBLEMS SPECIFIED BY SMALL MANUFACTURERS. THE TEAM SUCCESSFULLY USES A TACTICAL APPROACH TO DEMONSTRATE VALUE UNTIL THE SOLUTION IS IDENTIFIED. THE MODEL CREATES A CENTRALIZED POINT FOR SMALL MANUFACTURERS TO ACCESS THE INSTITUTES. THERE IS NO OTHER PROGRAM, RESOURCE, OR FUNCTION FOR MEP CENTERS TO ASSIST MANUFACTURERS WITH THIS MODEL?S BREADTH OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING KNOWLEDGE.EXPECTED OUTCOMES: MEASURABLE IMPACTS BY THE END OF 3 YEARS: IDENTIFY AND PLAN AT LEAST 75 SURVEYABLE MEP PROJECTS AS A RESULT OF THE TEAM?S WORK WITH MEASURABLE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR SMMS AND MEP CENTERS. ACTIVATE MORE OF THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK: EXPAND THE CHAMPION NETWORK TO 30. EXPAND MARKET PRESENCE WITH MANUFACTURING USA (YEARLY TO BEGIN IN YEAR 1): ANNUAL MULTI-INSTITUTE PRESENTATIONS WITH CHAMPIONS. 2-3 CO-LOCATED MEP MEETINGS WITH INSTITUTE ANNUAL MEETING PER YEAR. SHOWCASE TECHNOLOGY TAILORED TO SPECIFIC INDUSTRIAL SEGMENTS. REFINE TOOLS (ONGOING): BUILD OUT THE EXPERTISE NETWORK (LINKEDIN WEBSCRAPE DATABASE - CODE-NAMED ?MACKENZIE PROTOCOL?). CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEP ADVANCED TECH TEAM FRAMEWORK. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: SMM CLIENTS BENEFIT BY HAVING ACCESS TO MEP?S SMM-CENTRIC EXPERTS WHO WILL HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH ANY MANUFACTURING USA INSTITUTE AND/OR OTHER SUITABLE FACILITY. THE MEP CENTERS BENEFIT FROM AN EFFICIENT PIPELINE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW AND RELEVANT RESOURCES TO DELIVER SOLUTIONS. IN MANY CASES BROADENING THEIR SERVICE OFFERING TO AREAS THAT ARE IN DEVELOPMENT. THE NATIONAL NETWORK BENEFITS BY GAINING A UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION: TRUSTED ADVISORS CAPABLE OF CREATING OPTIONS FOR SMMS WHO WISH TO ASSESS MANUFACTURING USA AND OTHER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO GROW. THE MANUFACTURING USA NETWORK BENEFITS FROM A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN CAPACITY TO SERVE A WIDE RANGE OF MANUFACTURING SECTORS, INCLUDING SMALL MANUFACTURERS WHO ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE CENTER INTENDS TO UTILIZE TENNESSEE MEP AND NY MEP AS SUBRECIPIENTS ON THIS AWARD AND WILL CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE A GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED MEP NATIONAL ADVANCED TECH TEAM CONSISTING OF PERSONNEL IN TENNESSEE, NEW YORK, AND OREGON.

RHODE ISLAND RISEUP 2.0

RHODE ISLAND RISEUP 3.0

UNIVERSITIES OF RHODE ISLAND, ALASKA AND HAWAII WILL COLLECTIVELY DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALIZE SCALABLE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES

ADVANCED MATERIALS CTR.

PURPOSE: RHODE ISLAND HAS IDENTIFIED THE BLUE ECONOMY AS A NEW MAJOR FOCUS AREA FOR THE FUTURE. INVESTMENTS IN THE BLUE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR WILL BE CRITICAL TO THE STATE AS THE WORLD'S OCEAN ECONOMY IS EXPECTED TO OUTPERFORM OVERALL GLOBAL ECONOMIC GROWTH BY THE YEAR 2030.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THE UNIVERSITY'S MISSION-BASED IMPACTS TO SUPPORT RHODE ISLAND AND CONNECT PROGRAMS TO THE URBAN CORE OF PROVIDENCE IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM. WITHIN THE RHODE ISLAND INNOVATES 2.0 (STATE ECONOMIC STRATEGY) REPORT, SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE TO HELP GROW THE STATE'S ECONOMY, INCLUDING CREATING A UNIFYING INITIATIVE AROUND THE EMERGING BLUE ECONOMY IN THE STATE THAT WOULD BUILD ON THE ASSETS FOUND AT URI, THE NAVAL UNDERSEA WARFARE CENTER, AND OTHER ENTITIES WITHIN THE STATE AND THE REGION. THROUGH CAREFUL PLANNING AND DELIBERATE IMPLEMENTATION, THIS PROPOSED BLUE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTER WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGED TO LEVERAGE EXISTING STATE RESOURCES, AND BUILD THE CENTRALIZED INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROGRAMMING NEEDED TO GROW THE OCEAN ECONOMY IN THE STATE.EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE PROSER ENVISIONS THE LARGER BLUE ECONOMY CLUSTER TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING ECONOMIC IMPACTS WHICH WILL BE CATALYZED BY THE PLANNING AND PILOT PROGRAMS IN THIS PROPOSAL: 1) INCREASED JOB CREATION AND RETENTION IN UNDERSERVED AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES; 2) DEVELOPMENT OF NEW COMPANIES AND EXPANSION OF EXISTING COMPANIES; 3) INCREASED STATE AND FEDERAL TAX REVENUE; 4) INCREASED ACADEMIC AND COMMERCIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY AND ACTIVITY; 5) INCREASE THE CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY OF THE BLUE ECONOMY BY HAVING BTIC SERVE AS AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN COMPANIES, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, STATE ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS; AND 6) REDUCE BARRIERS TO BUSINESSES OPERATING WITHIN RHODE ISLAND BY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE STATE TO EXPAND AND BUILD NEW PROGRAMS, EXPAND RESOURCES, AND MAKE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: URIRF WILL ENGAGE WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS TO EXECUTE IMPACTFUL PILOT PROGRAMMING TO DETERMINE MOST EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC AND JOB PROGRAMS IN THE BLUE ECONOMY INDUSTRY. THE PROGRAMMING WILL TARGET BOTH STARTUP AND EXISTING COMPANY GROWTH AND ENSURE ENGAGEMENT OF A DIVERSE POPULATION INCLUDING STUDENTS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: A TOTAL OF $1,200,000 IS REQUESTED TO SUPPORT CONTRACTING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM PARTNERS. PARTNERS WILL BE COMPETITIVELY BID AND CONTRACTED ACCORDING TO CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS SPECIFIED BY THE FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCE. CONTRACT FUNDING IS REQUESTED FOR THE FOLLOWING: 1) ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE BLUE INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER AT PROJECT COST OF $750,000; 2) BLUE TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION AND MENTORING PILOT PROGRAMS FOR TOTAL OF $200,000; AND 3) FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT UTILIZATION PILOT PROGRAMMING FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH FACILITIES/EQUIPMENT RELEVANT TO START-UPS FOR TOTAL OF $250,000.

SEE NOTICE OF AWARD, ATTACHMENT 1 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS, ATTACHMENT D, STATEMENT OF WORK, ABSTRACT.

401 TECH BRIDGE PROGRAM WORKS TO CONNECT INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT TO ACADEMIA AND BROADENS STEM EDUCATION.

POLARIS MEP TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION CONNECTION PROGRAM FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA PILOT.

THIS EDA INVESTMENT SUPPORTS THE RHODE ISLAND BLUE ECONOMY TECH CLUSTER COALITION, LED BY THE URI RESEARCH FOUNDATION, WITH THEIR PROPOSAL TO DIVERSIFY THE REGION'S BLUE ECONOMY AWAY FROM ITS CURRENT TOURISM CONCENTRATION AND TOWARD BLUE TECH AND OCEAN RENEWABLES, WHILE IMPROVING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE BLUE TOURISM SUB-INDUSTRY. THE COALITION PROPOSES TO ACHIEVE THIS DIVERSIFICATION BY FURTHERING THE STATE'S ADVANCED BLUE ECONOMY, ATTRACTING NEW COMPANIES, DEVELOPING MORE SKILLED POSITIONS IN THE ADVANCED BLUE ECONOMY, AND CREATING A BLUE ECONOMY INNOVATION CENTER.

PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO EXPAND EXISTING MEP CAPABILITIES TO PROVIDE NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION AND TO ESTABLISH A SUPPLY CHAIN INTELLIGENCE NETWORK. IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY AND OPTIMIZATION FOR DOMESTIC SUPPLY CHAINS IN THE MEP NATIONAL NETWORK IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: CREATE THE RHODE ISLAND MANUFACTURING SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATIVE (RI MSCC) THAT WILL BE MADE UP OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CURRENTLY SUPPORT MANUFACTURERS IN VARYING DEGREES. CREATING A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO OPTIMIZING SUPPLY CHAINS THROUGH REGULAR DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: RI MSCC WILL ENGAGE AT LEAST ONE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER (OEM); MAKE OVER FIVE MATCHES CONNECTING SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS (SMMS) TO ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING SUPPLIERS; AND OPTIMIZE FIVE COMPANY SUPPLY CHAINS. POLARIS MEP WILL PARTNER WITH SUSTAINMENT AND SUPPLY RI, TWO PLATFORMS DESIGNED TO CONNECT SMMS THAT POTENTIALLY FIT A SUPPLY CHAIN RELATED REQUEST OR NEED TO A COMPANY. THE RI MSCC LEADERSHIP WILL BE BRIEFED ON ALL ACTIVITIES ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. MEET WITH COMPANIES PARTICIPATING UNDER THIS AWARD TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE INITIATIVE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS (SMMS) IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.

SEE NOTICE OF AWARD, ATTACHMENT 1 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS, ATTACHMENT D - STATEMENT OF WORK, ABSTRACT

SEE NOTICE OF AWARD, ATTACHMENT 1 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS, ATTACHMENT D - STATEMENT OF WORK, ABSTRACT.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS

POLARIS MEP SEEKS ONR SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN THE WORKFORCE THAT WILL BE PIVOTING TO SUPPORT COVID-19 EFFORTS, WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR VIABILITY TO PROVIDE NAVY AND DIB MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES TODAY

POLARIS MEP STIMULUS FUNDING APPLICATION FOR RHODE ISLAND COVID 19 MANUFACTURING RECOVERY

BLUE POWER ACCELERATE: CATALYZING INNOVATION IN MARINE AND HYDROPOWER