Thermoforming Center of Excellence Receives Innovation Grant
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pennsylvania College of Technology's Plastics Manufacturing Center was recently awarded an Innovation Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
The $100,000 grant will fund the hiring of a thermoforming program manager to help lead the PMC's Thermoforming Center of Excellence, providing project management to the center's industry clients and helping to develop curriculum for the college's plastics program.
The Thermoforming Center of Excellence, opened in April, is an 1,800-square-foot facility dedicated to serve the education, training, and research and development needs of thermoformers, sheet extruders, resin suppliers, mold builders and equipment manufacturers.
It represents the only state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for research and development and education for the thermoforming industry in North America. It greatly enhances Pennsylvania's infrastructure to serve local industry and its competitiveness for attracting outside companies to locate in the commonwealth Keystone Innovation Zones.
On Nov. 30, Pennsylvania announced 14 Innovation Grants, totaling $1.3 million, to its colleges and research facilities to help bring Pennsylvania-made technologies to market. The investments will leverage an additional $1.6 million in outside funding.
Since the Innovation Grant program began in 2006, the state has invested more than $12.7 million in Pennsylvania's research institutions. Because of the program, 523 well-paying, high-skilled jobs and 91 startup companies have been created, and more than 1,500 technologies have been developed.
The Innovation Grant and the Keystone Innovation Zone programs are funded through the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority one of the nation's largest and most replicated state technology-development programs that provides a vehicle for investment in economic-, community- and university-based innovation. Its programs are a key component of DCED's strategy and mission.
The Penn College Plastics Manufacturing Center is one of the top plastics-technology centers in the country. It offers industry access to extensive material-testing laboratories, industrial-scale process equipment, world-class training facilities and highly skilled consulting staff.
To learn more about the Plastics Manufacturing Center and its services, call 570-321-5533 or visit on the Web .
For general information about the college, visit online , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.