Funding for the project, dubbed Advancing Manufacturing and Building Construction Technologies (NSF AMT), comes via an NSF Engines Development award through the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, setting them up to pursue an NSF Engine award of up to $160 million – the largest award ever offered by the NSF. AMT is led by the , and core partners include UofL, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and trade organizations, such as ASTRO America.

“When Kentucky’s businesses are able to leverage groundbreaking innovations from our leading institutions, like the University of Louisville, our entire economy stands to gain,”��said U.S. Senator Mitch��McConnell, who helped secure the funding for the AMT coalition.

Together, the partners will develop a regional plan to improve use of and innovation in additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3-D printing, which can help manufacturers reduce part lead times, material costs, energy usage and waste. Louisville alone more than 2,400 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 82,500.��

“By focusing on advancing sustainable additive manufacturing technologies, this project has the potential to support expansion and attract companies and additional high-wage, high-skilled jobs for our commonwealth,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “These kinds of initiatives add to the remarkable strides being made by Kentucky’s entrepreneurs, companies and colleges and universities toward building our state’s future economy. Congratulations to the AMT team for securing this award and both demonstrating and improving Kentucky’s competitiveness and capacity for research and innovation.”

As part of NSF AMT, UofL will leverage its top-notch degree and technology badging programs to build a qualified workforce and its research and innovation strength to further technological innovation. This includes connection to the UofL-based (KY-MEP) statewide resource center, along with labs, including the multi-disciplinary . Over the next year, UofL also will host a series of events, workshops and demonstrations to engage businesses and showcase the potential of additive manufacturing.

“The innovative research we produce at UofL becomes most meaningful when applied to advancements that improve our community,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “We’re proud to continue working with our partners to translate our additive manufacturing knowledge into solutions that revolutionize the way we manufacture everything from medication to computer chips.”

UofL and partners also were recently awarded a $1 million NSF Engines Development grant, dubbed Generate Advanced Manufacturing Excellence for Change (GAME Change), aimed at securing economic competitiveness throughout the Southeastern Commerce Corridor (SCC) of Kentucky and Tennessee, with a focus on next-generation and advanced manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, more durable and sustainable materials and more. NSF Engines Development awards are meant to help applicants prepare for an NSF Engines proposal.��

“UofL is committed to empowering small and medium enterprises in our region with the latest advancements in additive manufacturing,” said Will Metcalf, UofL associate vice president for research and innovation and partner on NSF AMT. “Through our NSF Engines Development award and other efforts, we will engage in training and outreach to help these businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive market.”

Launched by NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022,” the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact regional economies, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs.

“We are eager to continue the work and build upon the partnerships we developed as part of our initial NSF Engines proposal through this�� award,” said KSTC President Terry Samuel. “It is a testament to the importance and potential of both our region and additive manufacturing technologies.”

The event, hosted by the UofL , honored faculty and staff from five schools and colleges for accomplishments in developing new technologies, working with industry and launching research-backed startups.

“We like to say UofL’s ‘igniting innovation’ — and that’s absolutely true,” said president Kim Schatzel, giving opening remarks at the event. “Since joining the UofL community, I’ve seen that our campus is full-to-bursting with creativity and ideas, some with the power to transform the way we live and work. If UofL is igniting innovation, our innovators are the spark, and the work they do has a lasting and positive impact here on our campus and well beyond.”

Six major awards were also presented, including Innovator of the Year. This year, that honor went to School of Medicine researcher Nobuyuki Matoba, recognized for his work to tackle devastating diseases, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, through groundbreaking new vaccines, immunotherapeutics and treatments that leverage protein engineering and plant-based biotechnology.����

In addition to Matoba, major awards were also presented to:��

• • Dan Popa, of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who won the Catalyst Award for his work to build an environment that encourages innovation at the Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI);
  • Geoff Clark, Joe Burlison and Kenneth Palmer, of the School of Medicine, who won the Industry Partnership Award for their longstanding commercialization relationship with Qualigen Therapeutics;��
  • Cheri Levinson and Christina Ralph-Nearman, of the College of Arts and Sciences, who won a Trailblazer Award for their work to develop novel virtual reality and personalized treatment tools for eating disorders and launch a startup, Awaken Digital Health Solutions, to drive them to market;
  • Kunal Kate, of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who won a Trailblazer Award in part for his work with the Kentucky MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center to help minority-owned businesses leverage cutting-edge technology;��
  • Noppadon Sathitsuksanoh, of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who won the night’s final Trailblazer Award for his work to develop new ways of producing sustainable fuels and chemicals from waste materials;

Over the past two years, 57 of the honorees earned new patents, 28 had their technology optioned or licensed to a company and 68 were awarded innovation grants, such as or , aimed at driving technologies to market. In the past fiscal year, the work of these innovators led to one new startup, 319 agreements, 49 new patents and $15.6 million in innovation-related income.

UofL Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation Kevin Gardner, whose office organizes the event, said those numbers represent real-world impact — and more, impact that can save and improve lives.��

“The innovations our researchers are developing have the potential to diagnose, treat and cure disease and overall make the way we live and work better,” he said. “What we celebrate reflects what we value as an institution — and with awards like these, we show that we value entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Backed by a new roughly $500,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the center will provide research, assessment, recommendations and workforce development to industries looking to adopt — or adapt to — the disruptive technology at the core of the fourth industrial revolution.��

UofL researcher Faisal Aqlan, who runs the center with colleagues Lihui Bai, Kunal Kate and Will Metcalf, said this revolution — also known as or Enterprise 4.0. — has the potential to radically transform a number of industries, and the benefits will go to companies that plan ahead.������

“Think of a smart factory, where all the machines can talk to each other and anticipate or even address problems,” said Aqlan, a center co-director and associate professor of industrial engineering at the . “Similar changes have happened in logistics and healthcare, where smart, connected technologies have helped increase productivity and accuracy, lower labor costs and improve safety. These technologies can greatly improve operations, but they have to be implemented correctly.”��

According to a recent , just 10% of companies had a long-range strategy for integrating these technologies — and those companies were innovating and growing faster. A full two thirds of companies surveyed had no formal strategy at all.������

“Strategy is absolutely critical to success in leveraging these technologies,” said Bai, a center co-director who also leads UofL’s Logistics and Distribution Institute (LoDI). “Our goal is to help companies understand where they are in terms of readiness —�� maybe they’re missing infrastructure or the workforce that’s needed to integrate and maintain. Then, UofL researchers will give them a solid roadmap to where they want to go.”����

CORE4.0 will engage three industry sectors including manufacturing, logistics and healthcare, through partnership with Western Kentucky University, Metals Innovation Initiative (Mi2) and Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. The center draws on the combined research strength of the UofL’s LoDI and the , with the industry expertise of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council and the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2).��

“UofL and its partners represent significant earned experience and strength in each of these sectors, and with cutting-edge technology,” said Metcalf, a co-investigator and associate vice president in the UofL Office of Research and Innovation. “We look forward to working with industry to leverage that strength to enter Industry 4.0.”������

Industry leaders interested in working with the Center for Organizational Readiness toward Enterprise 4.0 can contact uofllogistics@louisville.edu.����

The University of Louisville has hired longtime sales and business development executive Laurie Young to guide industry engagement as part of its Office of Research and Innovation.��

The partnership will award five full-tuition scholarships for UofL’s , with preference given to Black students, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented groups. The certificate is a graduate-level, online program to prepare individuals for careers in business operations of the distilled spirits industry.����

“The KDA and its members recognize that there are too few diverse voices in our industry and we must do more to build a workforce more reflective of our population and culture,” KDA President Eric Gregory said. “The KDA/UofL Scholars Program is part of our commitment to create an industry and a community that are more diverse, equal, welcoming and inclusive. Moreover, these students will be the foundation for historic and necessary change – a permanent legacy that will last for generations and forever transform our timeless craft.”

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association��will fund these and other scholarships through its new Lifting Spirits Foundation.

“At the University of Louisville, we are committed to empowering our communities by improving equity and access in all areas of education and achievement,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “The KDA/UofL partnership is a shining example of how we can work hand in hand with industry to create a more equitable society for all in one of our state’s essential industries.”

In addition to completing coursework, UofL and the KDA are exploring opportunities for the scholars to participate in a series of industry immersions such as internships and mentorships. Through the commitments of the KDA and its members, these experiences would give participants an unparalleled and rich exploration of the industry and the distinct Kentucky firms that lead it.

“At the end of a year, each KDA UofL scholar will understand the business and management principles of the industry, said , College of Business executive-in-residence and director of the Distilled Spirits Business Certificate Program. “They will have enhanced their resume with real-world experience, develop meaningful relationships with leading industry executives, and learn the unique culture of these KDA member distilleries. All in all, there could not be a better way to open the gateway to success than these skills, perspectives and relationships. Our shared vision is that in 20 years, there’ll be a cohort of senior-level leaders in the industry, creating similar opportunities for others, who started their careers as KDA/UofL Scholars.”

Jessica Pendergrass, chair of the KDA board of directors and a UofL alumna, said the association is committed to increasing diversity by expanding opportunities in the bourbon industry for traditionally underrepresented populations.

“The member companies of the KDA are working together with universities to build a better future for the Kentucky bourbon industry and the Commonwealth,” said Pendergrass, who also is general counsel and chief compliance officer for Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. “We are expanding our support of distilling programs to ensure inclusion and opportunity in our industry for all and to better reflect the cultural diversity of the consumers we know and love. My hope is these efforts focused on long-term, sustainable change in our industry create near-term accessibility to everyone who wants to be engaged in this thriving, unique industry in Kentucky.”

Kentucky bourbon is one of the Commonwealth’s most historic and treasured industries, accounting for $8.6 billion in annual economic impact and more than 20,100 jobs with an annual payroll topping $1 billion each year. The industry is in the middle of a $2.3 billion building boom, from innovative new tourism centers to expanded production facilities, all to meet the growing global thirst for Kentucky bourbon.

“The Distilled Spirits Business Certificate exemplifies UofL’s strong, reciprocal relationship with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the regional economy,” UofL College of Business Dean Todd A. Mooradian said. “We create programs like this certificate, our Equine Industry Program and our Family Business offerings that tie to the distinctive strengths of the region and the state. In turn, our programs contribute to those sectors and help shape their future.

“We gladly share responsibility for making that future more equitable and more just,” Mooradian said. “We commit ourselves, our resources and our energy to building excellence, addressing legacy disadvantages and systematic bias by building inclusive opportunities and creating a welcoming culture that embraces, invests in and is open for business to all.”

The UofL online Distilled Spirits Business Certificate provides broad-based knowledge about business operations within the industry for current or future distilled spirits professionals. It offers a one-of-a-kind curriculum that features the most relevant knowledge, skills and awareness for accelerating success in the spirits industry. Instructors are UofL College of Business faculty and����from KDA-member companies like Brown-Forman, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam and others. Graduates of the certificate program will be well-suited for leadership roles from operations and finance to supply-chain management and marketing. The certificate program includes nine graduate credits delivered entirely online and earns students one-fifth of the credits needed to complete a University of Louisville MBA.

For more information, visit the .��

The , held this year from July 31 through August 1 at the UofL Swain Student Activities Center, will showcase the latest research and advances from in and around Kentucky, including work in 3-D printing and manufacturing at the micro/nano-scale.

“Kentucky has always been a manufacturing state, but we need to innovate and continue to advance,” said Dr. Kevin Walsh, associate dean of research and facilities at the UofL J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who’s leading the event. “This forum provides a way for us to annually get together, discuss new findings, share results, showcase capabilities, generate ideas, debate the future and network with one another.”

The conference also includes hands-on workshops on additive manufacturing, roll-to-roll printing and micro-fluidics. The symposium will feature nationally-known keynote speakers, poster presentations, facility tours, networking, a cocktail reception and an investor forum backed by the .��

The event’s keynote speakers are: Harold Sears, a Ford Motor Company rapid manufacturing technical leader often called a “3-D printing futurist;” Dr. Edward Kinzel, an aerospace and mechanical engineering professor at the University of Notre Dame; Dr. Philip Rack, a professor of materials science at The University of Tennessee, and Dr. Placid Ferreira, an endowed professor of material science and engineering from the University of Illinois.��

The annual conference is a��partnership between UofL and the University of Kentucky. Together, they offer a collection of advanced manufacturing core facilities open to industry and academia, called the Kentucky Multi-Scale Network.��

Attendees can tour UofL’s multi-scale facilities, including the Micro-Nanotechnology Center (MNTC) cleanroom, the Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) and the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research. Those facilities work with industry on a variety of projects, from to��saving energy when manufacturing cement.

Kentucky Multi-Scale is part of the , which consists of 16 academic sites across the U.S. with similar advanced core facilities. Some of its other members include Harvard, Stanford and Cornell universities.

You can register to attend the 2019 Nano+AM Symposium ��

The customer service center, called “Launch,” is staffed by about 50 UofL students from a variety of disciplines, and there are plans to add more. The students get on-the-job experience working alongside those already in the industry.

“We learn by doing things — we teach each other,” said Launch associate, Abdulaziz Arrak. He hopes to join Cardinal Health full-time after he graduates from the UofL College of Business in May.��

Launch started as an idea two years ago. Cindy Adkins, Cardinal Health’s VP of Customer Support Services, said the Dublin, Ohio-based company was looking to expand in Kentucky to support its growing business.

“We knew we needed great talent to round out our team,” she said. “And with a great university in our backyard, we decided to start right there.”

The students perform customer service activities, and collaborate on market research and other strategic and special projects in the space, leased from the University of Louisville Foundation on the third floor of the Cardinal Station building on Central Avenue.

“This partnership is a tremendous benefit for our students,” said UofL President, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi. “Not only does it create flexible, meaningful employment, but it provides our students a great opportunity to work with a leader in the health care industry without leaving our campus.”

Launch is the latest addition to UofL’s industrial partnerships, which include FirstBuild, in collaboration with Haier’s GE Appliances, and ��The goal is to help corporate partners innovate and grow while creating educational and job opportunities for students.

“We continue to work aggressively to secure other collaborative ventures, attracting companies that lease space on our campus, hire students and faculty, and look to further our research,” said Interim Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation, Robert S. Keynton. “So we’re so proud to have another cardinal, Cardinal Health, join us here on the Belknap campus.”

Watch a video on the announcement . Students are encouraged to submit applications online at cardinalhealth.com.

To solve that problem, researchers at the University of Louisville have for loading preservative compounds into red blood cells.��This technology may aid in��extending blood’s window of use by enabling the dehydration and dry storage of red blood cells at room temperature.

Now, via a $750,000��from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a cooperative agreement with Indianapolis-based Cook Regentec, the team is working on further developing the technology and getting it to market.

“The goal is that this kind of system could be commercialized,” said Dr. Jonathan Kopechek, an assistant professor of bioengineering. “There’s a whole lot of opportunity. It’s exciting.”

Drs. Kopechek and Michael Menze, and graduate student Brett Janis, invented the technology and developed the prototype – a small, chamber with fluid channels inside. They are working with the to commercialize and protect the intellectual property.

“The researchers have proven it works and they have the prototype,” said Dr. Paula Bates, a UofL professor of medicine, who teamed up with the inventors to secure this grant as principal investigator.

By creating temporary breaks in the cell walls with tiny bubbles and ultrasound, the team can inject a preservative that protects the cell membranes. Once loaded with that preservative, the cells are ready for dehydration. Then, the blood can be rehydrated on-demand — even months later.

The process is sort of like dehydrating sea monkeys, then watching them spring back to life when they’re submerged in an aquarium.

“The dehydrated red blood cells can be reconstituted by gently mixing with water,” said Menze, an associate professor of biology and assistant chair. “It’s that simple: ’just add water’.”

Much of the initial proof-of-concept work and prototype development for the technology was funded by a grant from UofL’s translational research program, which is part of the National Institutes of Health REACH network. The researchers also are products of entrepreneurial training and NSF’s (I-Corps) site translational research program, both��at UofL.

By , the UofL team hopes to accelerate the technology’s path to market and explore other potential uses. While it’s initially being used for blood, this is a platform technology and could have multiple applications, including for storing or transforming other cell types.