UTEP’s W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation and the NASA MIRO Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) have announced plans to open a research unit in Youngstown, Ohio with Youngstown State University (YSU.) The collaboration will focus on advanced manufacturing, and aerospace and defense technologies.

This announcement is monumental for UTEP because it will expand its research opportunities in another manufacturing nucleus being Youngstown, which is the home of America Makes. The collaboration between UTEP and Youngstown is a part of America Makes’ newly established Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Research Innovation Institute.

America Makes was established in 2012 and is the flagship Institute for Manufacturing USA and is the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in AM and 3DP technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. The organization is also managed and operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining.

“The presence of Youngstown State University and America Makes in Youngstown presents a tremendous opportunity for us to collaborate with world-class additive manufacturing experts,” said Dr. Ryan Wicker, professor and director of UTEP’s Keck Center, in a news release.

The main goal or vision with the opening of the new center in Youngstown is to create a bridge between two of the nation’s largest and most significant manufacturing hubs in El Paso and Youngstown.

“I believe the El Paso and Youngstown areas are poised to become leaders in hypersonic technologies, and we are very enthusiastic about establishing a footprint in Youngstown to work jointly on hypersonic-enabling technologies with YSU and local advanced manufacturing businesses,” said Dr. Ahsan Choudhuri,  associate vice president for aerospace center and founding director of cSETR, in a news release. “We are very excited about this opportunity and commit to bringing our extensive network of aerospace and defense industry partners to this relationship.”

Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at [email protected]; @_IsaiahRamirez1 on Twitter.