For Immediate Release
MEDIA CONTACT:
Leo Priddy
Email: lpriddy@nrvrc.org
New River Valley Regional Commission
Virginia’s Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials (AM2) Tech Hub is pleased to announce that the consortium has been awarded $24.8 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support advanced manufacturing workforce development in southwest and southern Virginia.
The EDA intends to award $24,791,450 for three projects. AM2 Studios, through the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, will equip test beds for designing, prototyping, testing, and optimizing new products using additive manufacturing processes. The AM2 Career Network, spearheaded by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in collaboration with VMA’s Manufacturing Skills Institute, will develop a new, nationally recognized credential for additive manufacturing and train 2,000 workers in advanced manufacturing skills through expanded apprenticeship programs. Finally, the AM2 Consortium, led by the New River Valley Regional Commission, will forge connections with manufacturing companies, attract more industry to the region, and manage an innovation grants competition to help manufacturing companies integrate additive manufacturing processes.
“This announcement represents a tremendous opportunity for southwest and southern Virginia and reflects years of collaboration among industry, higher education, and economic development partners,” said Kevin Byrd, executive director of the New River Valley Regional Commission. “Through AM2, we are building on the strengths of the region and working together to help manufacturers access new technologies, expand their businesses, and compete in a changing economy. We appreciate EDA’s support for this regional partnership and the opportunity to support new investment, job creation, and long-term economic growth throughout the region.”
AM2 is a multi-regional, collaborative consortium, including industry, government, higher education, and economic development partners, from across the New River Valley, Southern Virginia, Roanoke, and Lynchburg regions. With this award, the effort has been supported by nearly $30 million in state and federal funding over three years. The EDA awarded AM2 a $500,000 Strategy Development grant as part of the 2023 Tech Hubs program to develop a 10-year roadmap for becoming a global hub in the technologies of additive manufacturing and advanced materials. A $100,000 GO Virginia planning grant in 2023 also supported roadmap development. In 2026, AM2 received a $4.2 million implementation grant from GO Virginia to begin launching this work.
Read the official press release from the U.S. EDA here.
Learn more about AM2 at am2virginia.org.
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world-class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
