About
Who We Are
The SMART Center is a proposed NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) focused on AI-enabled smart manufacturing and construction. The Center brings together industry, academic, and public-sector partners to advance pre-competitive research and workforce development addressing critical challenges in modern industrial environments.
What We Do
We conduct pre-competitive fundamental and applied research on AI-based technologies, methodologies, and tools that address industry-driven needs in manufacturing and construction, with an emphasis on improving productivity, quality, sustainability, and workforce safety and readiness.
What is an IUCRC?
Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRCs) are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as collaborative efforts among universities, large and small companies, local, state and federal government agencies, and other organizations for the purpose of conducting pre-competitive research of shared value. This model has been successfully utilized and refined for over 40 years. The IUCRC Program’s objectives are to grow U.S. innovation capacity by developing long-term partnerships among academia, industry, and government, and to leverage NSF funds with industry to support and train the next generation workforce within a global context. NSF provides the center’s administrative and operational framework, networking opportunities, and more.
Members pool their funds together to conduct pre-competitive research, meeting two times per year and collectively voting to recommend which projects to fund.
Members gain…
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Access to faculty, students, and center resources at all participating university sites.
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Access to free online and in-person training and certificate programs on various manufacturing and AI subjects for their employees.
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Rights to royalty-free, non-exclusive licenses to center-generated intellectual property.
SMART Center Program Structure: Three Pillars
Research on AI-Based
Technologies
- Manufacturing Productivity
- Product and Process Quality
- Facility and Operational Sustainability
- Workforce Safety and Performance
Industry Workforce Development
- More than fifteen online and in-person technical training courses
- Employees of Full and Associate member organizations may participate in online or in-person courses and receive certificates
Academic Education
- Education of undergraduate students in AI-based manufacturing programs
- Education of graduate students in AI-related research