With the funding, which comes via a state appropriation, has launched the Catalyst Equipment Match (CEM) program. The program provides an up to 50% match for manufacturers (up to $200,000) for investments in capital equipment and next-generation technologies — for example, automation, robotics and additive manufacturing.

“These investments are critical to powering Kentucky’s manufacturing economy and making it future-proof,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “As someone with a background in manufacturing, I’m proud that we can offer these supports and drive these firms and Kentucky’s economy forward.”

Kentucky is home to more than 4,000 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 250,000. The goal of this new program is to help those companies improve production, expand, enhance customer service and, overall, gain competitive advantage that sets Kentucky firms apart.

Through CEM, firms can apply for funding to update or replace equipment, including those with smart and connected technology such as automation, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It’s part of an overall drive in business and manufacturing known as or Enterprise 4.0., which has the potential to radically transform a number of industries, and the benefits will go to companies that plan ahead.����

“These technologies have the ability to greatly improve operations and expand Kentucky’s economy,” said Scott Broughton, executive director of the KY-MEP. “Through this new CEM program, we can support firms looking to adopt these technologies, building on KY-MEP’s mission of solving manufacturing problems for all Kentuckians and helping firms based here become even more globally competitive.”

KY-MEP, housed at UofL, solves manufacturing problems. The partnership leverages their industry-leading team and resources to help manufacturers affect transformational change management, implement waste-reducing systems and processes, grow revenue streams and customized culture models that support the talent pipeline and a sustainable workforce. In the past 12 months alone, KY-MEP supported more than 600 companies throughout Kentucky and drove more than $131 million in economic impact by way of retained or added jobs, improved efficiency and more.

“KY-MEP is part of an overall push by UofL to support industry and connect them to the resources and talent they need to solve important problems, innovate and grow,” said Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation at UofL. “UofL has significant earned expertise in a number of different disciplines, and we plan to use that expertise to help drive Kentucky’s economy forward.”

The state appropriation was championed by a few key legislators, including Kentucky Rep. Jason Nemes and Sen. Julie Raque Adams.

“Our small and mid-sized manufacturing companies are vitally important to Kentucky’s economy,” Nemes said. “Leveraging the expertise at UofL, these grant funds will benefit manufacturers in all different corners of the Commonwealth, strengthening our economy by increasing access to advanced technologies.”

“I was proud to support the state appropriation for Kentucky manufacturers,” Adams said. “This state funding, along with UofL’s innovative team, provides a tremendous opportunity to help our manufacturing businesses grow and thrive in today’s fast-changing tech environment.”

KY-MEP is part of the NIST , a unique public/private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing U.S. manufacturing. The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and more than 2,500 trusted advisors and experts at approximately 450 MEP service locations, providing any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

Manufacturing firms can find more information on the CEM program and apply for funding .��

View more photos on from the March 6, 2025��announcement.��

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.”

Their proposal, dubbed the Additive Manufacturing Forward Engine (AMFE), was selected as one of 16 finalists for a 10-year type-2 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s inaugural Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. The potential award is the largest NSF has ever offered.��

“UofL is proud to partner on this work to advance use of additive technology in manufacturing through workforce development and research,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “Together, we can put these innovations to work to exponentially grow our nation’s additive manufacturing capabilities.”

AMFE is led by the , and partners include UofL and other universities and trade organizations throughout Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Together, they will work 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 some 2,400 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 82,500.

As part of AMFE, 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 statewide resource center, along with labs, inlcuding the multi-disciplinary .

“This recognition [being selected as a finalist] speaks to the immense impact additive manufacturing can have both regionally and nationally,” said KSTC President and AMFE project lead Terry Samuel. “This project forges strong partnerships among research institutions, nonprofit organizations and industry leaders to bring innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions as well as high-paying manufacturing jobs to our local, regional and national economies.”�� ��

UofL and partners also were recently awarded a $1 million type-1 NSF Engines 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. Type-1 awards are meant to help applicants prepare for a type-2 proposal.��

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.

Awarded type-2 proposals will receive up to $160 million over 10 years, with each awardee receiving $15 million for the first two years. NSF anticipates the list of awardees will be announced this fall.

Funding for the effort, dubbed Generate Advanced Manufacturing Excellence for Change (GAME Change), comes via the U.S. National Science Foundation’s inaugural Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program. GAME Change received one of just 44 type-1 NSF Engines planning grants, qualifying it to compete for a type-2 award worth up to $160 million — the largest award NSF has ever offered.��

“UofL is proud to help lead the GAME Change coalition and work to ensure regional next-manufacturing competitiveness through research, innovation and workforce development,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “Kentucky and this region are ripe with opportunity, and through this work, we can accelerate our strong manufacturing sector’s growth as a national leader.”��

The goal, he said, is to secure 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. Louisville alone more some 2,400 manufacturing firms in areas ranging from food and beverage to automotive, with a total workforce of more than 82,500.

As part of the coalition, UofL will leverage its manufacturing and technology expertise to provide research support and talent development to industry partners. This includes connection to the UofL-based statewide resource center, along with labs, inlcuding the multi-disciplinary Louisville Automation and Robotics Reseach Institute (), led by J.B. Speed School of Engineering researcher and GAME Change teammember, Dan Popa.��

UofL also will lead the development and launch of a manufacturing-centered venture studio, offering funding, mentoring and training to help new tech-based companies spin up and out. The venture studio will draw on programming and resources offered through , part of the Office of Research and Innovation, inclduing innovation training and funding via UofL’s eight-week startup bootcamp and a suite of focused on translating research into marketable products.��

“UofL already has a long track record of success in getting its research out into the world as new products, businesses, and more with the power to radically improve the way we live and work,” said UofL principal investigator Will Metcalf, an associate vice president for research and innovation who leads UofL New Ventures and the new venture studio. “With GAME Change, we can catalyze that earned expertise to help our regional manufacturing economy thrive.”

In addition to UofL, the GAME Change coalition includes research, education, economic development, industrial and manufacturing leaders of the SCC, spanning the I-65 and I-75 thoroughfares and the promising high-growth centers of Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga that outline an Appalachian region in need of greater connectivity and economic resiliency.

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.

“These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation. Through these planning awards, NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation.”

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.����

Scott Broughton, UofL’s new director of manufacturing engagement in the , will work closely with UofL researchers and groups focused on 3D-printing, energy, robotics and other cutting-edge areas that could help manufacturers innovate and grow.��

Broughton comes to UofL from the Advantage Kentucky Alliance (AKA), where he previously was director of the state’s manufacturing extension partnership. UofL News recently had the chance to talk to Broughton about what’s new and next in manufacturing, and why he’s excited to connect industry with UofL.��

UofL News: This is a new role – what excites you about connecting manufacturers with UofL?

Broughton: What excites me most is being the conduit itself. What I mean by that is UofL has vast resources, technologies, capabilities, training in operational improvement, etc. that manufacturers simply do not know are available to them. For example, our ) and the .

I am excited about connecting manufacturers’ needs to UofL solutions. Manufacturers have a need for embedding new technologies into their processes and bringing in new employees. I am excited to show them how UofL is the perfect fit to be able to do both; the use of new technologies without the investment costs of buying the equipment as well as talented, well-trained UofL graduates looking to start their careers.

UofL News: Can you give a few examples of ways UofL’s helped manufacturers in the past?��

Broughton: Too many to count! One is how we allow manufacturers, startups and others to leverage our research capability as a one-stop shop for product development — from concept drawing through fully manufactured part through hiring your next great innovation engineer. ��

Another one I’m really excited about is our Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)-backed program, Accelerated Innovative Manufacturing with 3D Printing, or AIM-3DP. That program provides small and medium manufacturers in the automotive and aerospace sectors with training, mentorship, consulting,��research and development. Some of the manufacturers we’re working with would not have been able to do this work in the past without access to UofL expertise and resources in the latest technologies, like 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

UofL News: You mentioned new technologies – how are these changing the landscape for manufacturers?

Broughton:��New technologies are, of course, changing the way manufacturing is done; additive manufacturing/3D-printing can make prototyping and parts manufacturing less expensive and quicker, for example, and robotics and artificial intelligence can make things more efficient and safer. But currently, the No. 1 issue is workforce. The latest change-drivers in manufacturing are focused on trying to resolve that dilemma – both in terms of optimizing workflows by integrating these technologies and hiring employees trained to use these advanced technologies.��

UofL News: How can using these technologies help industry?��

Broughton: In several ways. One is that these smart technologies, like artificial intelligence, can help prevent mistakes. In today’s competitive market, we can not afford quality issues and stay competitive. Another, is that these technologies offer new ways to manufacture. Additive manufacturing and 3D-printing, for example, enable us to create parts not possible to produce any other way, nonetheless as quickly. The benefits of using these technologies are near limitless, from improving safety, to preventing errors, to reducing costs, to a thousand other things. These cutting-edge technologies can help manufacturers to innovate, optimize, build and grow.��

You can contact Scott Broughton at��scott.broughton@louisville.edu.

The competitive federal grant was announced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a UofL grad.��

​The UofL Modern Apprenticeship Pathways to Success (MAPS) program is funded through the DoL’s “” initiative. UofL was one of just 28 public-private partnerships funded under this federal program in its most recent round, and is the only one in Kentucky.

​Through MAPS, UofL will create apprenticeships that connect what students learn in class with their eventual careers. The apprenticeships will also give them field experience with disruptive, cutting-edge technologies that can change how work is done.

​“At UofL, we recognize that many people entering such industries as advanced manufacturing, healthcare and information technology require new skill sets or retraining in order to be successful,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “The apprenticeships created by the university and its private-sector partners through this grant program will help to form the workforce of the future.” ​

UofL will also work with three academic partners — Webster University, Jefferson Community and Technical College and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. These institutions will help MAPS create transfer opportunities for associate’s degree holders who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, and connect with underrepresented minority students and those who are, have been or depend on a member of the military. ​

Principal investigator Dr. Jeffrey Sun, of the UofL College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development (CEHD), said preparing students for high-skilled jobs is especially important now, at a time when the world of work is increasingly disrupted and evolving due to technologies like artificial intelligence and automation. ​

According to a from the Brookings Institute, automation will be most disruptive in the Heartland, and especially in Kentucky and Indiana. In the Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area alone, the report says some 670,000 jobs are susceptible. ​

But while automation may replace some jobs, some reports show it creates others — ones companies can’t seem to fill due to the skills gap. According to a from Deloitte, advanced technologies in the manufacturing industry will cause an estimated 2.4 million positions to go unfilled between 2018 and 2028.

​“The workforce in the Heartland is underemployed, mostly due to manufacturing layoffs and the unpreparedness of workers for higher-skilled jobs,” said Sun, associate dean for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at the CEHD. “We want our students at UofL to be prepared when new technologies, such as robotics and AI, alter our work or the market shifts, perhaps from 3D printing, change our business model.”

“By equipping job seekers with the training they need for good, 21st-century jobs, we can help close the skills gap and build upon Kentucky’s growing economy,”��McConnell said in a release.��“I applaud President Trump for his administration’s focus on apprenticeship programs, and I’m proud to work with him to promote investment in the future of Kentucky’s workers and their families. As Senate Majority Leader, I’m in a better position than ever to deliver for Kentucky communities, and I was proud to partner with UofL to give Kentucky workers every opportunity to succeed.”

The group was a part of the Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) created through XPRIZE and��Singularity University in alliance with Deloitte. According to IPP program director Sean Watson, the goal of the two-day tour is��to help senior business executives from leading companies explore the future of manufacturing and product development, as well as discover new ecosystems and partnerships that they can tap into to thrive in the emerging agile manufacturing paradigm.��

“As we looked at the lay of the land in manufacturing, we saw that Louisville was doing some really special things and a lot of it centered around the capabilities of the university,” Watson said. “We wanted to expose these companies to an industrial ecosystem outside Silicon Valley – the places you typically think of as centers of innovation in the world – and to introduce them to places doing dynamic things and are emerging as new centers and new ‘brain belts’.”

While the tour was created for informational and educational purposes, UofL Senior Director of Research Support & Development William A. Metcalf says he is hoping that the exposure will lead to additional public-private partnerships.

“Hopefully, they see some of the exciting things happening here and want to get involved, whether that’s research or to co-locate here and hire our students,” Metcalf said. “We’re not selling anything today, per se, but we’re talking about what we do. Hopefully, they find that interesting and want to be a part of it.”

More photos from the tour are .��

In partnership with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the University of Kentucky Agriculture Department, UofL researchers have planted hemp in a 40-by-40-foot plot adjacent to the center offices in The Phoenix House on the Belknap Campus. Nearby plots will be planted with switchgrass and kenaf, two other plants that have similar potential as fuels.

Unlike its better-known relative, marijuana, industrial hemp has none of the chemicals that produce a “high” for its users, making it worthless as a recreational drug. The hemp plant does, however, boast long, dense fibers that already are proving valuable in some manufacturing applications. It also has a woody core that may be effective once compressed as a supplement to or replacement for fossil fuels.

Research will be carried out by Jagannadh Satyavolu, biofuels theme leader at the Conn Center; Noppodon Sathitsuksanoh, assistant professor of chemical engineering; and Eric Berson, associate professor of chemical engineering.

Seven other Kentucky universities are conducting research on hemp, but UofL is the only one focusing on the plant as a fuel resource.

“Hemp is cleaner and cheaper to produce than coal, oil or other resources,” said Mahendra Sunkara, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Conn Center. “It could solve many of the nation’s future energy needs while providing a new, lucrative cash crop for Kentucky’s farmers.”

In addition to using the plot for research, the Conn Center will use the planting to educate the public on the uses for and benefits of industrial hemp.

“We want to eliminate the stigma that is attached to hemp,” said Andrew Marsh, the center’s assistant director. “When people learn the characteristics of the crop and understand its potential for economic development, we think they will become advocates for its production.”

Photos of the hemp plots are .��