On February 11th, the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC) will kick off the start of something big and excitingly different. Local civic and education leaders will be on hand to celebrate the grand opening of AMIIC’s state-of-the-art facility and lab, which is located at 5021 Technology, near the UAH campus.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Dr. Patricia Sims, President of Drake State Community & Technical College, Greg Brown, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Chairman and community influences will be on hand to celebrate this new venture.

Beyond its official ribbon cutting, AMIIC plans to roll out its technology and workforce training hub to help develop North Alabama’s future employees.

Created by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), AMIIC is a Huntsville-based non-profit that endeavors to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing and to contribute to the building of a highly skilled workforce in North Alabama.

AMIIC’s purpose is to help stimulate Alabama’s advanced manufacturing sector through the creation of a state-of-the-art demonstration facility and the significant expansion of available workforce development, training, education, and apprenticeship programs. The state, according to a recent economic study, has a goal of producing 500,000 new, highly skilled workers through 2025.

To help support the overarching mission, AMIIC recently received a $300 million donation from a local company.

AMIIC plans to assist efforts in accelerating the adoption of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, while also serving as an education hub for students and professionals working in technology and defense.

As a technology hub that’s partnered with academia, industry, and government, AMIIC offers collaborative spaces for defense contractors to work, as well as providing a place for those contracting entities to send their seasoned employees to update their skill sets. It’s especially noteworthy, given the competitive nature of the industry.

Through these partnerships, AMIIC endeavors to build a community that serves and strengthens North Alabama and its growing talent pipeline.

Some of AMIIC’s programs and services include: a digital engineering design center, workforce training hub, prototyping and demonstration, manufacturability assessments, workbaseED, and subject matter expertise.

AMIIC also offers in-class, as well as online courses. The first iteration of classes started the beginning of the month; the next class begins February 14th. Introduction to Model-Based Systems Engineering and Basics of Optical Measurement, are two of the classes currently being offered, with more courses being rolled out over the coming months. These are the type of course offerings that will help to provide local companies with the opportunity to be competitive in the contract bidding process.

AMIIC will forge the innovation and integration of advanced manufacturing through educating and developing the workforce of tomorrow, by promoting awareness, advocacy, and assistance, and to drive technology innovation through projects.

These objectives will be achieved by fostering an agile, collaborative, and pioneering environment to meet the modernization manufacturing needs of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Aviation & Missile Center at Redstone Arsenal.

As an unbiased third party, AMIIC has a national network of advanced manufacturing technology partners. As a non-competitive entity, AMIIC is seeking opportunities to partner with businesses or organizations, along with educational, training, and technology partners whose objectives align with their mission.

“AMIIC was conceived about four years ago as a workforce and advance manufacturing accelerator to meet Redstone’s workforce needs and the Army’s modernization challenges,” said John Schmitt, Executive Director. “The Deloitte study announced a 500,000-workforce gap, as well as some of our national defense challenges in hypersonics and long-range fires. The timing was right to establish ourselves as a trusted partner in meeting those workforce manufacturing modernization needs.”

For more information, please visit https://amiic.us/