On September 2
nd President Biden
announced 21 winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Funded by the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan and administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the challenge provides funding to foster economic growth, further inclusive and equitable recovery, and create thousands of quality-paying jobs in industries critical to the future, such as clean energy, next-gen manufacturing, and biotechnology.
Of hundreds of applications, and only 21 awards,
OSD ManTech, in the Office of the Under Secretary for Research & Engineering, is proud to have two of our nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) selected as awards winners,
BioFabUSA and Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (
ARM). The network of MIIs demonstrates how its public-private partnership model – whose key pillars are facilitating research and development, growing local and regional technology ecosystems in the U.S., and enabling education and training of an appropriately skilled workforce – is easily leveraged to solve critical manufacturing shortfalls.
BioFabUSA
The Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, and specifically its BioFabUSA program, led the way for their group of six partners to win the $44 million grant award. The partners include the City of Manchester, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the University of New Hampshire and the Manchester Transit Authority. The BioFabrication cluster will lead the way in manufacturing cells, tissues, and organs in Manchester’s Millyard. The group seeks to revolutionize healthcare, position New Hampshire as an epicenter for regenerative tissues and organs, as well as foster an easy pathway for students to gain an education in related fields.
Speaking of the grant award, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) stated,
“This is such just an exciting day for Manchester and our entire state,” … “When you travel across the Granite State, you see the promise of our innovation and technology sector and how these businesses support good paying jobs, grow local economies and develop technologies that are truly shaping our future. New Hampshire is a beacon for innovation and this competitive grant solidifies that fact.”
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute
The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute received a $14.2 million grant as part of their award through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. ARM Institute is one of several southwestern PA organizations who share in a $62.7 million grant to the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative to a build robotics and autonomy cluster and grow opportunity for all people and places in an 11-county region encompassing Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland. The ARM Institute will work closely with the other recipients of the BBB funding to achieve the overall mission of the grant. Other funded projects will work to expand the use of robotics for small and medium sized enterprises throughout many industry sectors, accelerate the formation of start-ups focusing on robotics and automation in multiple industry sectors, establish a regional upskilling system to open a range of
training options outside of traditional degrees, and increase pathways into robotics and autonomy industries for under-represented populations including women and minority-owned businesses.
Mr. Ira Moskowitz, ARM Institute Chief Executive Officer, stated,
“We congratulate all of the organizations who participate in the overall grant and look forward to working with them to expand the robotics and autonomy sector to benefit all people in our region, and ultimately strengthen and grow U.S. manufacturing”