The Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (AMJIAC) MID-PROJECT REVIEW Prepared for the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership by Heidi Sheppard and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC). May 2014 The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge Table of Contents Introduction 02 AMJIAC Partnerships, Goal and Activities 03 Accomplishments to Date and Next Steps 08 AMJIAC Benefits to MEP Centers 10 Common Implementation Strategies 13 Conclusions 16 APPENDIX I: AMJIAC Awards 17 1 Mid-Project Review Introduction In recent years, Federal economic development policy The AMJIAC call for proposals was announced in May 2012. has embraced the idea of fostering “industry clusters” as a After a competitive grant process, ten regions were selected mechanism for driving regional economic growth. Industry located in Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, clusters represent dense formal and informal networks of Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Oregon1. These companies, a supportive ecosystem for innovation, and deep grants support the creation and strengthening of regional pools of specialized and skilled workers. Through a series partnerships capable of accelerating innovation and growing of challenge grant programs—the Jobs and Innovation a region’s capacity for advanced manufacturing. This funding Accelerator Challenge grants—the Obama Administration has been used for activities such as worker training programs has invested in numerous regional efforts to strengthen and or connecting manufacturers to resources like national labs grow regionally-based industry clusters. The challenge grants or universities. Ultimately, these grants present regions with leverage funding and technical assistance from multiple an opportunity not only to expand their current activities, Federal agencies in a coordinated regional effort to generate but also to fundamentally transform the way that the region greater impact than any individual agency might be able to supports its manufacturers. achieve through their respective individual grant programs. The AMJIAC regions are now roughly halfway through The first of these competitive Federal grant awards (the their three year awards. The foundation for each initiative Jobs and Innovation Challenge) involved three agencies has been put into place, and implementation has begun. provided funding to twenty regions in 2010. In 2011, a This document reviews some of the ways that NIST MEP slightly different group of funders awarded grants to 13 rural participated in the AMJIAC projects. It begins with a brief regions (the Rural Jobs and Innovation Challenge). In the overview of the AMJIAC goals for the integrated regional third round, five agencies (including the NIST Manufacturing project, as well as the goals for the MEP specific projects. It Extension Partnership) came together in an effort to support then reviews early project accomplishments, and considers advanced manufacturing. In the Advanced Manufacturing what MEP centers have gained through their participation in Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge (AMJIAC), NIST these regional initiatives. provided resources directly to MEP centers. In prior rounds, MEP contributed technical assistance to many grantees, but the AMJIAC grants received NIST MEP funding for the first time. Four other agencies joined NIST MEP to support advanced manufacturing clusters through the AMJIAC. 10 Public Private Partnerships Those agencies included the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Energy (DoE), and the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). 1 The complete list of projects can be found in the Appendix. 2 Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge 1.0 AMJIAC Partnerships, Goals and Activities Although the AMJIAC grants have a complex structure, they Arizona AMJIAC led by the Arizona Commerce Authority do allow flexibility for regions to determine the best way to (ACA)2. In these two cases, the MEP managers have taken grow their target clusters and support Small and Medium- on the primary management roles for the overall project. In sized Manufacturers (SMMs). Table 1 demonstrates this several other regions such as Rochester (NY) and Oklahoma, flexibility by showing that the number and type of different the MEP center partnered with one other organization to AMJIAC partners varies greatly from region to region. In lead different project elements. While many different types of some instances, one or two organizations are taking the organizations are leading the different projects, the NIST MEP primary leadership role for the project. This is the case for the projects are all led by the region’s MEP center. Delaware Valley (Pennsylvania) AMJIAC led by the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) and the Southern Figure 1: AMJIAC Project Leads AMJIAC Regions NIST Manufacturing Employment Department of Small Business Economic Development Extension Partnership and Training Energy Administration Administration Administration Southern Arizona N/A Arizona Commerce Arizona Commerce Arizona Commerce Arizona Commerce Authority Authority Authority Authority Northern California The Corporation for Laney College University of Norcal Small Business Workforce Development Manufacturing Excellence California Berkeley Development Board of Contra Costa (MANEX) Center(s) County Southeast Michigan Michigan Manufacturing Workforce National Center Detroit Regional Detroit Regional Technology Center Intelligence Network for Manufacturing Chamber Chamber (MMTC) for Southeast Sciences Michigan Rochester, New York High Tech Rochester University of University of High Tech Rochester University of Rochester Rochester Rochester Syracuse, New York CNY Technology SUNY College of Syracuse University Onondaga Syracuse University Development Environmental College of Community College College of Engineering Organizations Science and Forestry Engineering and and Computer Science Computer Science Oklahoma Oklahoma Manufacturing Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Alliance University University University University Southwest Catalyst Connection Wesmoreland-Fayette National Center Innovation Works Innovation Works Pennsylvania Workforce Investment for Defense Board Manufacturing and Machining Delaware Valley, Delaware Valley Industrial Delaware Valley Delaware Valley Delaware Valley Delaware Valley Pennsylvania Resource Center Industrial Resource Industrial Resource Industrial Resource Industrial Resource Center Center Center Center East Tennessee University of Tennessee Pellissippi State Technology 2020 Technology 2020 Technology 2020 Center for Industrial Community College Services Washington- Impact Washington; Southwest Columbia River Oregon Columbia River Oregon Oregon MEP Washington Economic Microenterprise Economic Development Workforce Development Council Network Council Development Council 2 The Southern Arizona AMJIAC lacks an MEP component because at the time of the application, Arizona had no MEP center. 3 Mid-Project Review By contrast, other regions have created a more broad-based assets and capabilities, so regions have chosen their own set of partnerships, with different organizations leading one avenues for achieving this objective. Each AMJIAC region’s or two different grant elements. As seen in Table 1, this is overall project goals reflect this variety of approaches. Table particularly true for the Pacific Northwest where there is not 2 shows the overarching goals for each AMJIAC region. In only a different project lead for each element, but the NIST most instances these projects are designed strengthen MEP project involves collaboration between two different businesses in targeted industry clusters, while in others the MEP centers (Impact Washington and the Oregon MEP). regional partners are promoting greater use of emerging These broader partnerships have the benefit of bringing a technologies. The AMJIAC awards therefore give regions potentially more diverse set of networks, capabilities and the opportunity to engage relevant stakeholders such as resources to the AMJIAC projects. However, they also may universities, community colleges, economic development present greater challenges in reporting and coordination, organizations, military, federal laboratories, workforce boards, particularly if the partners do not have longstanding and leading manufacturers. This funding helps focus partners relationships or much experience with working together. around activities designed to expand their region’s ability to train workers, promote new technologies, and expand markets. Overall Project Goals (all agencies) Southern Arizona’s AMJIAC project is one of the projects The underlying objective for the AMJIAC awards is to focused on strengthening a specific industry cluster. In grow a region’s capacity to support and grow advanced this instance, the AMJIAC partners are attempting to manufacturing. However, each region draws upon unique position the region’s aerospace and defense (A & D) cluster Figure 2: AMJIAC Project Focus Region Focus of overall AMJIAC project Southern Arizona Develop the 6-county region’s Aerospace & Defense (A&D) Cluster. Northern Build a stronger regional