- Date published
Announced during Manufacturing Month, this partnership connects expertise, technology and training to better serve manufacturers and students.
Manufacturers and students will have an easier way to connect with the Springfield region’s manufacturing expertise through a new partnership among Missouri State University’s efactory, the Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) and Ozarks Tech’s Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing.
Announced during Manufacturing Month, the partnership brings greater coordination to the capabilities the three organizations already offer — from workforce training and business consulting to applied research, technology development and prototyping. By strengthening connections among their teams, the partners aim to help manufacturers find the right expertise and move more easily between resources as their needs evolve.
“There is an incredible amount of world-class capability right here in our community,” said Matt Curry, executive director of JVIC. “JVIC has resources and expertise in technology development, prototyping and innovation, and by working together, we can make it easier for manufacturers to find the right resource and move forward.”
Connecting expertise with industry needs
Each partner brings distinct strengths to the collaboration.
Ozark Tech’s Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing provides hands-on training labs, simulation and automation centers, customized workforce and business training, and space for industry collaboration and incubation.
JVIC supports research, technology development, prototyping and commercialization, helping companies explore new technologies and address technical challenges.
efactory connects businesses with consulting, space and talent development resources, including business assistance through the Missouri SBDC at Missouri State.
The partnership makes it easier to connect those services around a manufacturer’s needs. A company seeking workforce training, for example, may also need help developing a prototype or planning for growth. Closer coordination among the partners helps that company connect with additional expertise without having to navigate each organization on its own.
“We each bring something different to the table, and that’s exactly what makes this partnership valuable,” said Robert Randolph, executive director of the Plaster Manufacturing Center. “A manufacturer may come to us with a workforce or advanced manufacturing need that we are primed to address. Through this partnership, we can then easily connect them with prototyping, R&D or innovation expertise available through JVIC and Missouri State.”
Strengthening connections for students and manufacturers
The collaboration also aims to help students connect their education with the technologies, expertise and career opportunities in the region’s manufacturing industry. Stronger ties among education, research and business support can help students see how their skills apply to industry needs while helping manufacturers connect with the region’s emerging workforce.
For manufacturers, students and entrepreneurs, the shared goal is a clearer path to the resources already available in their community.
“Together, we’re creating a more connected path from idea to prototype, prototype to production and overall economic growth,” Curry said.