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LIFT to develop advanced manufacturing at $4M Caguas plant

The Puerto Rico government allocated $2M to the institute.

Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish) has allocated $2 million from the Economic Incentives Fund to the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII, better known as LIFT), to invest in the island’s economic development.

LIFT began operating in Puerto Rico last year after signing a memorandum of understanding with the DDEC at the end of 2022, establishing a satellite office in Caguas with an investment of $4 million. The facilities will serve as a hub for training the workforce in advanced manufacturing and are expected to be inaugurated in February.

Efforts have already begun with academia and local industries to address workforce needs, said DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre.

“During its first year on the island, LIFT has advanced its talent development program by investing more than $669,000. So far, they have offered welding training services to 218 participants in collaboration with seven educational institutions and 12 local companies. Of these, 73 found jobs and 19 created spaces to start their own businesses,” Cidre said.

“LIFT is contributing to adding value to the local industry and making it more competitive through the development of 21st century talent. The main objective is to close the gaps in the manufacturing ecosystem, strengthening it, increasing its competitiveness, creating new jobs and maintaining our position as the leaders of advanced manufacturing in the region,” Cidre said.

“The next steps will be to install machinery to provide advanced manufacturing training, establish a component for the development of new technologies in the new facilities in Caguas and continue joining forces with academia and industries to reach more sectors, so that the multiplier effect is felt in the economy,” he added.

The matching of funds of up to $2 million over four years will be used to create the LIFT affiliate program in Puerto Rico, which will prepare the workforce to access advanced technologies, processes and manufacturing systems, including precision manufacturing, data analysis, digital systems and robotics.

“We anticipate attracting companies to Puerto Rico, promoted by the subsidy of technology and talent programs by LIFT-PR, as well as the creation of a significant number of well-paid jobs,” Cidre said.

LIFT CEO Nigel Francis said, “We appreciate Cidre’s vision for leading the effort to support LIFT’s expansion in Puerto Rico to assist manufacturers and the workforce on the island. As a public-private nonprofit organization, it is key for us to work with leaders like the secretary to achieve our mission on behalf of the nation, and we applaud him for a job well done.”

“Manufacturers, and more importantly, people here on the island, have the skills and abilities to support the nation’s defense industrial base, and LIFT is here to help facilitate and grow that capability,” Francis said.

LIFT was established in 2014 as a nonprofit organization in Detroit, Michigan, with the mission of advancing American advanced manufacturing through technology adoption and talent development. It works on numerous projects, including developing prototypes and technologies for national defense, with monetary commitments exceeding $330 million, according to the institute.

LIFT is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense, industry and academia. It has close connections with the departments of Commerce and Energy, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. It is part of a network of more than 1,900 research institutions and industrial enterprises managed by the National Advanced Manufacturing Program Office.

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