NORFOLK, Neb. — Northeast Community College will play a key role in a new $25 million effort to help Nebraska become a national leader in robotic technologies and automation in the manufacturing and agriculture industries.
Northeast is one of six partners in the Heartland Robotics Cluster that was awarded a $25 million grant on Sept. 2 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) through its Build Back Better Regional Challenge program.
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The Heartland Robotics Cluster was one of 21 winners of the $1 billion challenge. The project was selected among a pool of 529 applications from all 50 states. In December, 61 proposals were named finalists, of which 21 were awarded funds.
The program will be led by Invest Nebraska and also includes participation by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, Metro Community College, Nebraska Innovation Studio, the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership and The Combine.
Dan Hoffman
“The Heartland Robotics Cluster and private sector partners have been working on the concept since early 2021,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO of Invest Nebraska, which is a public-private organization that invests in early stage startup companies. “We are extremely grateful to receive this support and recognition from the EDA.”
Northeast will receive approximately $4.6 million of the cluster’s overall award – $3.4 million for the development of a fabrication lab in downtown Norfolk and $1.2 million to create a two-year robotics/automation curriculum and technology outreach program. It is the largest federal grant Northeast has ever received.
The lab will be geared to the workforce needs of local and area manufacturers, many of which generate products and serve clients that support the agriculture industry. The lab will also create an environment where ideas are shared and become reality through applied technologies, economic and community development, business and industry training and personal development.
Once the space in downtown Norfolk is renovated, it will feature high-tech equipment and collaborative workspace to allow manufacturers to explore ideas, streamline production processes and create prototypes. The lab will be open to the public, offer a variety of membership and use options, and include space for student robotics use.
Northeast Dean of Applied Technology Shanelle Grudzinski said the college is “beyond excited” to partner with Invest Nebraska and others who share a vision of looking at rural vitality and community growth through a different lens.
“As an innovative approach to engaging cross disciplinary boundaries and programs, along with the community, the Northeast Community College Fabrication Lab is being built in the heart of downtown Norfolk to assist in stimulating the entrepreneurial ecosystem and expanding educational opportunities for a wide variety of groups ranging from K-12 students to two-year and four-year college students, to incumbent workers, to the community at large,” Grudzinski said. “It is an opportunity to combine resources, knowledge, and local talent while offering affordable and accessible manufacturing and creative equipment for individuals to ideate, prototype, problem-solve, and produce with as we work collaboratively to address workforce challenges and economic development opportunities.”
“The Build Back Better Regional Challenge places community and equity at the heart of its design. With this grant, technological development, revitalization of communities, and job creation go hand in hand,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a news release. “Invest Nebraska Corporation and its coalition partners will spur technology innovation in the state to fortify our nation’s food supply chain, support rural workers, and accelerate technology,” she said.
Hoffman said the grant money will be used to develop an automation demonstration space and program for Nebraska manufacturers led by the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership; grow the robotics engineering curriculum for undergraduate students and build R&D robotic lab space at the UNL College of Engineering; create an automation fabrication lab managed by Northeast Community College; develop urban ag/robotics outreach and training by Metro Community College; expand the robotics makers space at Nebraska Innovation Studio; and increase technical assistance for robotic ag-tech startups managed by The Combine.
“Today, we start the long process of investing in our state’s automation infrastructure and growing the future talent pipeline in automation, robotics, computer vision, and AI,” Hoffman said.
Lincoln Journal Star reporter Matt Olberding contributed to this story.
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or [email protected].
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