Dive Brief:
- Pennsylvania State University’s Electronics Manufacturing Center was named one of seven Navy Manufacturing Technology Electronics Manufacturing Centers of Excellence for its work in emerging manufacturing technology development, the school announced in November.
- The recognition builds on Penn State’s existing work with the Navy, which includes a five-year, $50 million contract awarded in August 2021 to the school’s Electro-Optics Center, another recognized Center of Excellence.
- The Electronics Manufacturing Center focuses on decreasing costs for the Navy, such as by saving the military branch tens of millions of dollars on its nuclear-powered Virginia Class submarine.
Dive Insight:
The Electronics Manufacturing Center, established in 2021, is the newest in the Navy’s Center of Excellence program. Both it and the Electro-Optics Center are housed within Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory.
In addition to the Electro-Optics center, $50 million in funding will also be used for the Electronic Manufacturing Center’s technology projects and other related areas to support the Navy’s mission and needs, the Office of Naval Research said in an email.
The Center also supports power storage and distribution infrastructure to naval ships, aircraft, submarines and unmanned systems, according to the Naval Research’s website.
The seven Centers of Excellence within the Navy Manufacturing Technology program focus on developing and transitioning new manufacturing processes and equipment through industry, academic and Naval collaboration. Penn State is also home to a third center, the Institute for Manufacturing and Sustainment Technologies.
Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory is a Department of Defense-designated, University-affiliated research center established in 1945 at the request of the U.S. Navy. The lab provides and manages the department’s essential engineering, research and development capabilities.
