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Paso del Norte Engine Receives $15 Million NSF Engines Award

By Cameron Kerkau Associate Editor, SME Media

The Paso del Norte Engine, consisting of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Aerospace Center and W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, has received one of 10 inaugural United States National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine (NSF Engines) awards.

The Paso del Norte Engine will initially receive up to $15 million for the next two years, with a potential NSF investment of $160 million for the team over the next 10 years. The NSF Engines program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

According to UTEP, the Paso del Norte Engine hopes to help small and medium manufacturers compete in the aerospace and defense markets. The Paso del Norte Engine will address five of 14 defense critical technologies identified by the DoD, says NCDMM, including advanced materials, trusted AI and autonomy, space technology, renewable energy generation and storage, and hypersonics, by focusing on the broad dissemination of those innovations for use by small and medium manufacturers.

“The NSF funding opportunity aligns with the overall mission of the NCDMM organization,” says Randy Gilmore, NCDMM vice president and chief development officer. “We have a long-standing relationship with UTEP, and as a nationally recognized industry leader in executing successful applied research and development projects to improve DoD weapon and support systems, NCDMM is honored to be part of the Paso del Norte team. We will work collectively with stakeholders and industry experts to propel the region forward, foster innovations and expand our nation’s aerospace and defense sector talent stream.”

Other NSF Regional Innovation Engine Awardees include:

  • The Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine
  • The Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine
  • The Louisiana Energy Transition Engine
  • The North Carolina Sustainable Textiles Innovation Engine
  • The North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine
  • The Paso del Norte Defense and Aerospace Innovation Engine
  • The Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine
  • The Colorado–Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine
  • The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine
  • The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine
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