NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing autonomous technologies for advanced manufacturing (MS)

该区域创新引擎发展奖的重点是促进工业、学术、经济发展、州和社区组织之间的努力，以加速整个北密西西比州多样化制造业的智能技术整合。这个绰号为Engine 662的项目团队是该地区研究型大学、社区学院和行业合作伙伴的联盟，他们都专注于提高效率和生产力，开发新技术，提高劳动力技能，为初创企业提供动力，吸引新产业，并帮助现有产业发展。这一倡议为改善整个地区的经济成果提供了重要机会。项目的核心是利益相关者，他们了解所有各方在推动密西西比经济活力方面的内在联系和角色。北密西西比州严重依赖多个部门的制造业，并有望实现快速增长。662引擎支持加强合作伙伴之间的协调，以利用资源和创新解决方案来推动和维持增长。662发动机将促进先进的制造业生态系统，使密西西比州在技术革命中占有更大的份额，并提高美国的工业竞争力。为了在先进制造业中实现使用启发研究，Engine 662将试点新产品蓝图（NPB）和竞争力评估（CR），以确定差距和共性，以确定最初的研究重点。Engine 662将解决技术、产品、劳动力培训、生态系统协调和新技术商业化转化方面的差距。根据NPB和CR的数据，该项目将优先考虑资源，并将问题与训练有素的团队联系起来，以快速制定解决方案。随着就业障碍的发现，该项目将与社区学院、K-12学校和区域经济发展协会合作，复制有效的方法或设计新的解决方案。Engine 662成功的核心是理解行业共同面临的挑战（以使用为灵感的研发），利用利益相关者的能力，加强区域协调（生态系统发展）。Engine 662为项目领导和区域利益相关者之间的协调提供了一个平台和工具，以组织一个有效的，包容的，多样化的，忠诚的团队，了解如何最大化和部署所有可用的资源，并试点新的方法来使用灵感研究，优先考虑区域研发需求。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Regional Innovation Engines Development Award is focused on catalyzing efforts among industrial, academic, economic development, state, and community organizations to accelerate the integration of intelligent technologies throughout north Mississippi's diverse manufacturing sector. The project team, nicknamed Engine 662, is a coalition of the region's research universities, community colleges, and industry partners, all focused on improving efficiency and productivity, developing new technologies, upskilling the workforce, fueling startups, attracting new industries, and helping existing industries grow. This initiative represents a significant opportunity to improve economic outcomes throughout the region. At the project's core are stakeholders who understand all parties' inherent connections and roles in driving a vibrant economy for all Mississippians. North Mississippi relies heavily on manufacturing across multiple sectors and is poised for rapid growth. Engine 662 supports heightened coordination among partners to leverage resources and innovate solutions to drive and sustain growth. Engine 662 will promote an advanced manufacturing ecosystem, positioning Mississippi for a more significant share of the technological revolution and enhancing U.S. industrial competitiveness. To actualize use-inspired research in advanced manufacturing, Engine 662 will pilot New Product Blueprinting (NPB) and Competitiveness Reviews (CR) to identify gaps and commonalities to define initial research thrusts. Engine 662 will address gaps in technologies, products, workforce training, ecosystem coordination, and translation of new technologies to commercialization. Based on data from the NPB and CR, the project will prioritize resources and connect problems with teams trained to develop solutions rapidly. As barriers to employment are uncovered, the project will work with community colleges, K-12 schools, and regional economic development associations to replicate what works or design new solutions. Central to Engine 662's success is understanding the challenges shared by industries (use-inspired R&D), leveraging stakeholders' capacities, and enhancing regional coordination (ecosystem development). Engine 662 provides a platform and vehicle for coordination among project leadership and regional stakeholders to organize an effective, inclusive, diverse, and committed team that understands how to maximize and deploy all available resources and pilot new approaches to use-inspired research that prioritize regional R&D needs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.