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

这个区域创新引擎发展奖的重点是催化工业，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的多样化制造业智能技术的整合。该项目团队绰号为Engine 662，是该地区研究型大学、社区学院和行业合作伙伴的联盟，所有这些都专注于提高效率和生产力、开发新技术、提高劳动力技能、推动初创企业、吸引新行业并帮助现有行业发展。这一举措是改善整个区域经济成果的重要机会。该项目的核心是利益相关者，他们了解各方在为所有密西西比人推动充满活力的经济方面的内在联系和作用。北密西西比州在很大程度上依赖于多个行业的制造业，并准备快速增长。Engine 662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。Engine 662将促进先进的制造业生态系统，使密西西比在技术革命中占据更重要的份额，并增强美国的工业竞争力。为了在先进制造业中实现使用启发式研究，Engine 662将试行新产品蓝图（NPB）和竞争力评估（CR），以确定差距和共性，从而确定初步研究目标。Engine 662将解决技术、产品、劳动力培训、生态系统协调以及新技术商业化转化方面的差距。根据来自NPB和CR的数据，该项目将优先考虑资源，并将问题与经过培训的团队联系起来，以快速开发解决方案。随着就业障碍的发现，该项目将与社区大学、K-12学校和区域经济发展协会合作，复制有效的做法或设计新的解决方案。Engine 662成功的核心是了解各行业共同面临的挑战（使用启发式研发），利用利益相关者的能力，并加强区域协调（生态系统开发）。Engine 662为项目领导层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，多样化的和忠诚的团队，了解如何最大限度地利用和部署所有可用的资源，并试行新的方法来使用启发式研究，优先考虑区域&研发需求。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

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.