Enterprise Innovation Institute

Scientists Pinpoint Hazards for Engineered Stone Fabrication Shop Workers

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:23:41 +0000

Scientists Pinpoint Hazards for Engineered Stone Fabrication Shop Workers admin Mon, 07/28/2025 - 14:23

You've probably seen fabricated stone countertops on an HGTV remodeling show — and you might even have them in your own home.

The durable, affordable, and highly customizable product debuted in Italy in the 1970s and continues to grow in popularity. Between 2010 and 2018, U.S. imports of engineered stone slabs increased by 800%. One report predicted that global demand will increase 5.4% each year, to reach 97 million square meters by 2028.

Sometimes referred to as manufactured stone or quartz (which is, confusingly, also the name of one of its main components), to the untrained eye, the material looks no different from natural stone. One of its biggest advantages is that it can be made to resemble marble, granite, or nearly any other stone.

Beneath the material’s familiar smooth surface, however, lie safety risks for engineered stone workers.

Research conducted by a team of Georgia Tech scientists demonstrates that everyone in a fabrication shop is at risk, not just the workers cutting and fashioning the material.

The group included members of the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s Safety, Health, and Environmental Services (SHES) program: Jenny Houlroyd, Hilarie Warren, Brandon J. Philpot, and Sean Castillo. Together with Jhy-Charm Soo of Georgia Southern University, they recently published their findings in Oxford Academic.

The study divided engineered stone workers into four risk groups and charted their relative exposure to the material’s chief hazard: respirable crystalline silica.

A “Toxic Product”

Engineered stone differs notably from its natural counterpart, both in composition and in danger to worker health.

A stone slab cut from the ground, such as granite or marble, comprises several different minerals and typically has a concentration of 40% or less of mineral crystalline silica — usually quartz, which is the most abundant form of crystalline silica.

Engineered stone, however, can contain more than 90% silica. Slabs are produced when silica is crushed, combined with synthetic resins, and compressed using heat or pressure.

During fabrication, these slabs are cut and shaped by powered hand tools. The resulting dust contains tiny particles of respirable crystalline silica. Once inhaled, some of the particulate may stay in the lungs and cause an inflammatory response.

While crystalline silica is released from both natural and engineered slabs during fabrication, the engineered slabs’ significantly higher percentage of silica poses a much greater risk to human health.

A growing body of research indicates that breathing engineered stone dust leads to lung inflammation and can cause acute silicosis, an untreatable lung disease.

“I would classify engineered stone as a really toxic product,” said Houlroyd, manager of occupational health services at SHES. “When you have something that’s high-risk, you have to prepare for systems to fail and have backup measures.”

Committed to Safety

Over six years, the SHES research group collected air-sampling data, making 17 visits to 11 Georgia stone fabrication shops. The shops had all requested air-sampling services offered by SHES.

“The companies agree that by working with us, they commit to correcting the hazards and reducing exposures, as much as is feasible,” Houlroyd noted.

Because most kitchen and bathroom countertop fabrication shops are small employers, workers often complete a variety of tasks, resulting in a range of exposure factors.

The research team recommended that all manufactured stone fabrication workers wear respirators, such as an N95 mask. For employees who are the most exposed, they recommended a respirator with a powered air-purifying element or supplied air.

But personal protective equipment (PPE) alone does not ensure safe conditions.

“Most of the workers in this industry are relying on respirators as their primary source of protection, and they need a lot more to protect them,” explained Houlroyd. “PPE is the last line of defense, and safety needs to be addressed from all angles.”

Part of that multifaceted strategy includes repeated monitoring of air quality and equipment. It’s also crucial for employers to make sure that exposure risks are understood by all workers — not just employees, but also contract and day laborers, as well as those working for cash.

More Than Just a Job

As members of SHES, the Georgia Tech research team members are first and foremost health and safety consultants, with expertise spanning industrial hygiene, environmental compliance, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

For Houlroyd, worker safety is not just a professional calling; it’s also a personal mission.

“My dad got sick with brain cancer from exposure to contaminants on the job, and he died four years ago,” she said.

“Though he didn’t work in the manufactured stone industry, his story is representative of many people who go to work each day to feed their family, are not aware of workplace hazards, and then find themselves sick.”

The public can play a part in worker safety, too.

“Consumers have a choice and can educate themselves about what type of countertop materials they choose to have installed — like how we look at food labels for nutritional information,” said Warren, who oversees the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Georgia Tech.

“We should be aware of the risk to workers, as well as how the installation process in our homes should be properly managed to prevent dust contamination,” she added.

A Zero-Risk Solution

In 2024, Australia eliminated the risks associated with engineered stone fabrication. Despite having enacted stronger regulations in 2019, the country continued to see a rise in silicosis cases resulting from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Australia’s solution? Enacting a ban on the import and fabrication of the material until its safe manufacture can be demonstrated.

In their report, the Georgia Tech group recommends that the U.S. do the same. As Houlroyd put it, “I would love to see our country find a safer substitution and take this dangerous product off the market.”

____________________

Title: “Respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica exposures among workers at stone countertop fabrication shops in Georgia from 2017 through 2023”

Conflict of interest: Jenny Houlroyd has served as an expert witness in silicosis legal cases unrelated to this research. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding: The U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of the OSHA 21(d) Consultation Program grant.

DOI: https://academic.oup.com/annweh/advance-article/doi/10.1093/annweh/wxaf014/8116008?utm_source=advanceaccess&utm_campaign=annweh&utm_medium=email

Summary sentence

Engineered stone has been in use for homes since the 1970s but creates serious health hazards for workers who produce them.

Summary

Australia enacted a ban on the import and fabrication of manufactured stone slabs because of health hazard concerns. Researchers from Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern University recommend the U.S. do the same.

Dateline

Mon, 07/28/2025 - 12:00

eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

Contact

Eve Tolpa
eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

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Keywords

engineered stone

silicosis

Enterprise Innovation Institute

worker safety

Georgia Southern University

Safety Health and Environmental Services

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Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Manufacturing

Research

Mercury ID

683317

Source updated

Mon, 07/28/2025 - 14:22

Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Georgia Tech Celebrates 65 Years of Service

admin — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:43:40 +0000

Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Georgia Tech Celebrates 65 Years of Service admin Thu, 07/24/2025 - 18:43

The Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech, received recognition by Gov. Brian P. Kemp at the Georgia State Capitol for 65 years of service to the manufacturing industry.

The commendation acknowledged GaMEP for leveraging its world-renowned expertise and resources to advance manufacturing and economic prosperity across the state, supporting an industry that adds $82 billion to the economy and employs 425,000 residents, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

This impact reflects decades of intentional growth and support for the industry. By 1960, more than 4,500 manufacturers had planted roots across Georgia — the result of strategic efforts by state leaders, with economic development assistance from Georgia Tech, to industrialize the economy. But growth brought new challenges. Manufacturers needed technical support to stay competitive. In response, the Georgia General Assembly voted to establish the Georgia Tech Industrial Extension Service (now known as the GaMEP). This created statewide field offices that provide a direct link between industry and innovation, delivering on-site technical expertise to help manufacturers thrive.

“Our role is to support those manufacturers so together we can help grow the state’s economy — and we’ve been really successful at that,” said Tim Israel, GaMEP director and EI2 associate vice president for corporate engagement/firm-based programs. “In 2024, Georgia experienced a significant return on its investment with the GaMEP generating an impressive $294 for every state dollar allocated to manufacturing projects. This remarkable outcome highlights the critical importance of the state’s strategic investments in strengthening Georgia’s manufacturing sector.”

Over the past decade alone, the GaMEP has provided assistance and education to more than 3,900 manufacturers across 144 counties, helping them create or retain 14,500 jobs, invest $1 billion in capital improvements, realize $3.5 billion in sales, and save nearly $450 million in costs. The GaMEP primarily serves small- to medium-sized manufacturers with 75% employing less than 250 workers. Its top-served industries include fabricated metal products, food, machinery, and chemical and transportation equipment manufacturing.

“When Georgia manufacturers become more productive and profitable, they hire more people, pay better wages, and stabilize local economies, especially in rural and underserved areas of the state,” said David Bridges, EI2 vice president. “This also creates pathways for career advancement for frontline workers who might not have had previous opportunities.”

Today, GaMEP’s reach spans 10 regions across the state, each led by a dedicated region manager who lives and works locally, offering manufacturers direct, knowledgeable connections to its expert team, valuable resources, and diverse partners.

“The GaMEP has been a trusted collaborator and valued partner in strengthening manufacturing across Georgia,” said Lloyd Avram, Georgia Association of Manufacturers CEO and president. “Together, we’ve supported thousands of manufacturers statewide — helping them embrace innovation, improve operations, and remain competitive. We appreciate their extensive expertise and shared dedication to advancing the industry, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure Georgia remains one of the best states for manufacturing.”

GaMEP’s impact and success by region, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development regions:

Coastal Region

Counties: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven.
Manufacturers served: 269.
Jobs created/retained: 283.
Capital improvement investment: $23,171,292.
Costs saved: $1,645,061.
Sales realized: $13,965,000.
Success story: Roger Wood Foods.

East Region

Counties: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, and Wilkes.
Manufacturers served: 169.
Jobs created/retained: 3,899.
Capital improvement investment: $127,754,280.
Costs saved: $14,771,582.
Sales realized: $975,465,000.
Success story: Nutritional Resources.

East Central Region

Counties: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton.
Manufacturers served: 209.
Jobs created/retained: 621.
Capital improvement investment: $19,703,035.
Costs saved: $2,535,494.
Sales realized: $29,486,000.
Success stories: Creature Comforts Brewing Company and Poly Tech Industries.

Metro Atlanta Region

Counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale.
Manufacturers served: 1,601.
Jobs created/retained: 2,928.
Capital improvement investment: $235,763,480.
Costs saved: $112,083,262.
Sales realized: $844,679,890.
Success stories: Compass Technology Group, Construction Specialties, and Highland Forge.

Middle Region

Counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, and Wilkinson.
Manufacturers served: 170.
Jobs created/retained: 972.
Capital improvement investment: $121,814,846.
Costs saved: $8,810,950.
Sales realized: $300,213,400.
Success story: Unified Defense.

Northeast Region

Counties: Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White.
Manufacturers served: 280.
Jobs created/retained: 1,029.
Capital improvement investment: $88,443,395.
Costs saved: $63,999,228.
Sales realized: $259,453,900.
Success story: Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.

Northwest Region

Counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield.
Manufacturers served: 387.
Jobs created/retained: 1,090.
Capital improvement investment: $ $92,948,931.
Costs saved: $141,460,651.
Sales realized: $326,366,408.
Success story: Trenton Pressing.

South Region

Counties: Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wheeler, and Wilcox.
Manufacturers served: 176.
Jobs created/retained: 969.
Capital improvement investment: $219,300,221.
Costs saved: $6,596,254.
Sales realized: $39,632,275.
Success story: Healthy Pet.

Southeast Region

Counties: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.
Manufacturers served: 166.
Jobs created/retained: 281.
Capital improvement investment: $20,684,800.
Costs saved: $3,098,700.
Sales realized: $77,724,500.
Success stories: CJB Industries and South Georgia Pecan.

Southwest Region

Counties: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth.
Manufacturers served: 130.
Jobs created/retained: 130.
Capital improvement investment: $12,266,730.
Costs saved: $1,682,790.
Sales realized: $5,002,020.
Success story: Sweet Grass Dairy.

West Region

Counties: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster.
Manufacturers served: 111.
Jobs created/retained: 713.
Capital improvement investment: $37,948,131.
Costs saved: $3,197,600.
Sales realized: $69,588,348.
Success story: Oneda Corporation.

West Central Region

Counties: Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson.
Manufacturers served: 234.
Jobs created/retained: 1,658.
Capital improvement investment: $90,750,763.
Costs saved: $89,931,074.
Sales realized: $615,900,002.
Success stories: Complete Truck Bodies and Mountville Mills.

For more information about GaMEP’s impact, including impact by county, visit gamep.org/statewide-impact.

About the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership
The Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a program of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech, serves manufacturers by offering solution-based assistance that promotes top-line growth and reduces bottom-line cost. The GaMEP, a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership, has advanced manufacturing and economic prosperity in Georgia since 1960. For more information, visit gamep.org and like/follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

Summary sentence

Gov. Brian Kemp recognizes GaMEP history and impact serving manufacturers in Georgia.

Summary

The commendation celebrates GaMEP’s commitment to supporting manufacturers across the state through educational opportunities and technical assistance.

Dateline

Thu, 07/24/2025 - 12:00

peralte@gatech.edu

Contact

Péralte Paul
peralte@gatech.edu
404.316.1210

Associated importer

Keywords

Enterprise Innovation Institute

Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

GaMEP

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Manufacturing

State Impact

Workforce Development

Mercury ID

683266

Source updated

Thu, 07/24/2025 - 18:42

SHES Collaborates with University of California San Francisco to Assess Pork and Poultry Worker Safety

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:45:41 +0000

SHES Collaborates with University of California San Francisco to Assess Pork and Poultry Worker Safety admin Wed, 04/16/2025 - 10:45

ATLANTA and SAN FRANCISCO — When University of California San Francisco (UCSF) officials were contracted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct research on line speeds at pork and poultry processing facilities, they knew exactly who to ask for additional support: researchers from the Safety, Health, and Environmental Services (SHES) division at Georgia Tech.

A program housed in Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, SHES offers occupational safety, health, and environmental (OSHA) consulting and training services to manufacturers across the country and has worked extensively examining food-processing workers’ exposure to chemicals.

UCSF needed a partner with specific scientific expertise regarding employee exposure to a chemical used to limit bacterial growth during pork processing. SHES’ prior working relationship with UCSF also proved beneficial. In 2021, SHES industrial hygienist Brandon Philpot was the primary investigator (PI) for a collaborative project with a group from the UC system to develop safety training for workers fabricating engineered stone countertops.

“UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine was so impressed with our team's work, they came back to us for this much larger project,” said Jenny Houlroyd, Ph.D., manager of occupational health services at SHES. “We're trying to build meaningful relationships and leverage expertise across institutions.”

Study Parameters

The study was initiated when the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service division contracted with third-party experts to investigate whether increases in poultry and swine evisceration line speeds affected worker safety.

A secondary aspect of the study looked at the potential for an increase in worker exposure to peracetic acid (a food-safe chemical applied to surfaces in certain food-processing applications) when processing line speeds are increased.

“The study’s designers believed that ergonomics was the driving factor in worker safety, but they were unsure if by slaughtering and processing more animals per day, workers were also applying more peracetic acid,” said Houlroyd. “This is what the SHES team was asked to measure.”

In addition to tapping Georgia Tech’s expertise in industrial hygiene, UCSF brought in several other schools in the University of California system, primarily UC Berkeley, to assist with research.

Scope of SHES’ Role

“Our work with UC started in July 2024 and was completed in January 2025,” said Houlroyd, who served as the project’s PI and UC liaison.

Conducting the field research were SHES industrial hygienists Philpot, Sean Castillo, and Bob Hendry, as well as SHES OSHA Training Institute Education Center manager Hilarie Warren. The group traveled to six pork processing plants across the U.S. over 11 weeks.

Although the preferred method for industrial hygiene and worker exposure is to chart direct exposure to the workers themselves, the study did not allow employees to wear chemical monitors on the processing line for safety reasons.

“Our on-site sampling included putting on a variety of wearable monitors on ourselves,” Hendry said. “We’d then go to the various work areas in the plant where peracetic acid was used, stand next to the workers, and take readings.”

Each SHES team member upheld consistent sampling standards, but they were stationed at different sites. As a result, Castillo said, “It was up to us to use professional judgment to evaluate where the areas of concern were. We had to make sure we were very organized so that if I was at one site one week and Bob came out the next week, we could replicate our data almost one-to-one.”

Importance of Worker Interviews

The USDA study received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, which is needed if researchers interact with human subjects. Houlroyd noted that because the USDA study was considered formal research, IRB approval was necessary.

Although conducting worker interviews was not a requirement of their participation, the SHES team set up a special room where they interviewed employees on ergonomic issues and musculoskeletal disorders.

“We were able to take the load off from our collaborators and, in doing so, speed up their process so that they could finish their research earlier,” said Castillo.

Philpot stressed the importance of worker interviews to the study. “The process was good for collecting background information on what the employees were going through, day in and day out, to see if there’s anything that we could do to help their situation.”

By putting workers at ease, he and his teammates were able to gain their trust and listen to their concerns. “They could actually see that we cared about what's going on,” Philpot said.

According to Houlroyd, “One of the reasons the UC group loved Brandon and Sean and Bob so much is that we've had so much experience doing interviews, we were quick to jump into that role and help them. Our team knows that there is dignity in all labor, so we approach workers with respect. We meet the workers where they are, and we speak to them not as an academic, but human to human.”

Study Results

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su reported that the USDA study found that faster line speeds did result in an increased risk of injuries, but that this risk “could be mitigated with other controls, specifically having more workers on the line and having effective ergonomic plans.”

The results of the peracetic acid research conducted by SHES, however, were inconclusive. “Was there more exposure at the faster line speed?” asked Houlroyd. “We found one plant where it was true, but it wasn't consistently true at all the plants, so it was determined that there should be more research.”

Regardless, she welcomed the chance to strengthen collaborative ties with the UC system and celebrated the meticulous and compassionate work conducted by SHES.

“I am so grateful for this team for traveling to remote locations in our country and spending 11 weeks in slaughterhouses,” said Houlroyd. “I had no doubt that we could do it, and we did it well.”

Summary sentence

The group traveled to six pork processing plants over 11 weeks.

Summary

The project was designed to optimize worker safety.

Dateline

Wed, 04/16/2025 - 12:00

etolpa3@gatech.edu

Contact

Eve Tolpa
etolpa3@gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

Hilarie Warren

Safety Health and Environmental Services

food safety

Enterprise Innovation Institute

economic development

UC San Francisco

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Research

Mercury ID

681833

Source updated

Wed, 04/16/2025 - 10:45

Enterprise Innovation Institute Hosts Foreign Entrepreneurs Through U.S. State Department Program

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:42:51 +0000

Enterprise Innovation Institute Hosts Foreign Entrepreneurs Through U.S. State Department Program admin Tue, 06/18/2024 - 13:42

In the war between Russia and Ukraine, Yevhen Popov is something of an information warrior.

Popov is director of civic partnerships and research with Osavul, a Kyiv, Ukraine, information security startup founded in 2022.

Using artificial intelligence, the company’s software allows governments, non-governmental organizations, media, and other private sector clients to collect and analyze data from online networks and platforms to fight disinformation and cyberattacks. It launched just as war broke out in Ukraine.

“The invasion was not only on the ground, which was military with military force, but also with the minds of people,” Popov said. “So, with the disinformation attacks happening almost every day — two or three times a day — this is our response. It's a way to guide agencies and businesses to protect them from these harmful narratives and the harmful effects of these attacks.”

Popov and 18 other entrepreneurs — mostly from Ukraine but some from other countries, including Sri Lanka, Jordan, Fiji, Botswana, Brazil, and Mongolia — were at Georgia Tech’s Encore for several weeks in the spring as part of a U.S. State Department program.

That effort, the Global Innovation Through Science and Technology Initiative (GIST), connects innovators from emerging economies who want to scale with faculty experts and ecosystem builders from the U.S. who can help them succeed.

GIST is working with Nakia Melecio, who heads the Innovation Lab initiative at Georgia Tech’s economic development arm, the Enterprise Innovation Institute. Melecio has been tapped to lead several GIST-related ecosystem-building efforts in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

While at Tech, the entrepreneurs met with campus leaders, researchers, and economic development experts from across the Institute, including the Office of Commercialization, VentureLab, CREATE-X, International Initiatives, and the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s EI2 Global.

“We've got the opportunity to share not only our resources, but our best practices to help these innovators blaze a trail within their own ecosystems and also figure out how to penetrate the U.S.,” Melecio said, adding that Georgia Tech is slated to host a cohort of entrepreneurs from Egypt later in the summer.

“We’re excited here at the Enterprise Innovation Institute to provide the level of coaching, support, and access that these founders need so they can be successful and hit their goals.”

The visiting entrepreneurs are just as excited.

“It's very interesting to be here because the ecosystem of startups is quite huge in Atlanta and in Georgia,” Popov said. “It's a good opportunity to be here with people who know what they're doing and know how they're doing it.”

Expanding her network and eyeing global expansion drew Ariuntuya Altangerel, co-founder and CEO of Brighton EdTech in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to Georgia Tech.

The language learning startup was founded in 2011 to help facilitate, in an interactive way, mastery of English. Altangerel is exploring how the model can be replicated beyond her home country of 3.3 million people.

“We have a very small population, so for startups, we have no choice but to go global so that they can scale,” she said. Being at Georgia Tech is also giving her and the other GIST-hosted entrepreneurs opportunities to be fully immersed in a successful startup ecosystem.

“In our country, the startup ecosystem is at the seed level. It's growing faster and faster, but still, there are fewer opportunities for us to get an investment,” she said. “I just see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to dive into this ecosystem and learn as much as possible.”

Nevindaree Premarathne is the founder and CEO of The Makers in Sri Lanka, a company that aims to inculcate innovation habits in children through hands-on STEM activities and community building. The Makers has partnered with educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private enterprises to reach underprivileged schools and empower female students in STEM.

“We are getting a lot of knowledge from Georgia Tech,” Premarathne said, noting her company ships its activity boxes to 10 countries and is looking to scale.

“As a country, we have a small ecosystem,” she said. “We want to improve our network here, and seek investment opportunities and partnerships. It's really important for us, because of the space that we are working on in education.”

Learning how to crack the U.S. market is what Vlad Popov sought to achieve for his company, Platma, a two-year-old, no-code software development platform based in Kyiv.

“Our goal specifically is to find investors there and make a partnership that will help us in the U.S. market,” said Vlad Popov, who serves as Platma’s marketing director.

The war in Ukraine is driving some of those growth plans. “The war even accelerated us in this case, because we understand that every day can be the last day, so we work as hard as possible,” he said, adding that the team mostly works remotely but workdays are often interrupted by warning sirens, electricity disruptions, and missile strikes.

“Starting a business is good because you provide jobs for people, you pay taxes, you help the economy become strong — it’s important to start a business, even if it's hard.”

Summary sentence

Entrepreneurs are on campus to learn how to scale and develop viable ecosystems for startup success.

Summary

Startup entrepreneurs are part of a U.S. State Department program that pairs founders from overseas with academic experts.

Dateline

Tue, 06/18/2024 - 12:00

peralte@gatech.edu

Contact

Péralte C. Paul
404.316.1210
peralte@gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

U.S. State Department

Nakia Melecio

Global Innovation Through Science and Technology Initiative

startups

Enterprise Innovation Institute

International Initiatives

Ukraine

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Mercury ID

675141

Source updated

Tue, 06/18/2024 - 13:42

Nakia Melecio to Lead Innovation Lab Effort at Enterprise Innovation Institute

admin — Wed, 29 May 2024 17:27:41 +0000

Nakia Melecio to Lead Innovation Lab Effort at Enterprise Innovation Institute admin Wed, 05/29/2024 - 13:27

Melecio, who has also served as the deep tech catalyst in the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s ATDC startup incubator, will lead Innovation Lab, which encompasses new business development efforts in life sciences and biosciences. The Innovation Lab initiative centers on three core activities:

Grow healthcare research, innovation, and workforce development practice.
Expand EI2 Global's international footprint.
Support VentureLab's National Science Foundation I-Corps activities.

“Nakia has been instrumental in helping to expand Georgia’s life sciences community and ecosystem,” said David Bridges, vice president of the Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Tech’s chief economic development arm. “Leading Innovation Lab already builds on a foundation he created since joining us in 2019 and further supports our broad economic development mission.”

He's already leading in the healthcare research practice expansion with his work in the MedTech Center and running the ScaleUp Lab Program for deep tech innovation.

Under Melecio’s leadership as founding director, the MedTech Center, which has the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Global Center for Medical Innovation as partners, has worked with and evaluated the innovations of more than 200 companies. Since launching in 2021, the MedTech Center’s 66 active startups have raised $13.1 million in investment capital and an additional $6.4 million in federal, non-dilutive funding grants.

In 2023, the MedTech Center was selected to join the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health’s ARPA-H Investor Catalyst Hub to accelerate the commercialization of practical, accessible biomedical solutions.

He is supporting Georgia Tech’s efforts to collaborate with Atlanta University Center schools — Spelman College, Clark-Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and the Morehouse School of Medicine — to collaborate with those minority-serving institutions as they build out capacity for their scientists and researchers to create more life sciences technology companies, following an award from the Economic Development Administration.

Similarly, Melecio is working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham on a collaborative project in biologics and medical devices to move more of its researchers’ innovations out of the lab and into commercial markets.

As Innovation Lab lead, Melecio, who has secured more than $5.76 million in federal grants and awards to Georgia Tech, will also work to develop biomanufacturing partnerships for Georgia Tech.

With EI2 Global, the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s program that fosters economic opportunity through collaborations with universities, innovators, governments, and nonprofit organizations worldwide, Melecio will serve as an instructor on Lab-to-Market and CREATE-X programming for entrepreneurs. He will also create and provide educational content for EI2 Global’s university and ecosystem partners.

Closer to home, his Innovation Lab work includes ongoing projects as a principal in VentureLab, a program of Georgia Tech’s Office of Commercialization. In that capacity, he will work on VentureLab’s National Science Foundation-related Innovation Corps (I-Corps) programming. Those efforts, overseen by Commercialization Vice President Raghupathy "Siva" Sivakumar, include the NSF I-Corps Hub Academy, where Melecio will serve as director.

“Our efforts with Innovation Lab are centered around finding new opportunities, new markets, and new industries by leveraging our areas of expertise at the Enterprise Innovation Institute and Georgia Tech to build economic development capacity in the life sciences and biosciences space,” Melecio said.

“We’re looking to take a broader perspective, away from being hyper-focused in one or two niche areas in life sciences, to ensure that we maximize opportunities to support new ideas, build stronger practice areas in this space, and secure funding to bring those innovations to scale.”

Summary sentence

Melecio will focus on economic development for life sciences and biosciences.

Summary

Nakia Melecio, senior extension professional and director of the Center for MedTech Excellence at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, will lead a new effort focused on economic development support for life sciences companies and bioscience commercialization and ecosystem building.

Dateline

Wed, 05/29/2024 - 12:00

peralte@gatech.edu

Contact

Péralte C. Paul
peralte@gatech.edu
404.316.1210

Associated importer

Keywords

biosciences

Life Sciences

economic development

Innovation Lab

go-researchnews

Nakia Melecio

Enterprise Innovation Institute

commercialization

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Life Sciences and Biology

Research

Mercury ID

674932

Source updated

Wed, 05/29/2024 - 13:26

David Bridges Receives Fulbright Specialist Award to Slovak Republic at Digital Coalition

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 06:51:41 +0000

David Bridges Receives Fulbright Specialist Award to Slovak Republic at Digital Coalition admin Fri, 04/26/2024 - 02:51

The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that David Bridges, vice president of the Georgia Institute of Technology's Enterprise Innovation Institute, has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award.

Bridges, who was named Fulbright Specialist in February of 2024, will complete a project at the Digital Coalition in the Slovak Republic that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within Public Administration.

Bridges is one of over 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbrighters address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 88 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit eca.state.gov/fulbright or contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office by telephone 202.632.6452 or e-mail eca-press@state.gov.

Summary sentence

Program pairs U.S. academics and professionals with institutions abroad to share expertise, strengthen relations, hone skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures.

Summary

Bridges is one of 400 Americans in program, which was established in 1946.

Dateline

Fri, 04/26/2024 - 12:00

peralte@gatech.edu

Contact

Péralte C. Paul
peralte@gatech.edu
404.316.1210

Associated importer

Keywords

go-researchnews

David Bridges

Enterprise Innovation Institute

fulbright scholar

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Mercury ID

674397

Source updated

Fri, 04/26/2024 - 02:50

Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:22:41 +0000

Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility admin Thu, 04/25/2024 - 22:22

When U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter from Georgia’s 1st District visited Atlanta recently, one of his top priorities was meeting with the experts at Georgia Tech’s 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF).

Carter was recently named the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s chair of the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee, a group that concerns itself primarily with contamination of soil, air, noise, and water, as well as emergency environmental response, whether physical or cybersecurity.

Because AMPF’s focus dovetails with subcommittee interests, the facility was a fitting stop for Carter, who was welcomed for an afternoon tour and series of live demonstrations. Programs within Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute — specifically the Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) and Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) — were well represented.

“Innovation is extremely important,” Carter said during his April 1 visit. “In order to handle some of our problems, we’ve got to have adaptation, mitigation, and innovation. I’ve always said that the greatest innovators, the greatest scientists in the world, are right here in the United States. I’m so proud of Georgia Tech and what they do for our state and for our nation.”

Carter’s AMPF visit began with an introduction by Tom Kurfess, executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute; Steven Ferguson, principal research scientist and managing director at Georgia AIM; research engineer Kyle Saleeby; and Donna Ennis, the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s director of community engagement and program development, and co-director of Georgia AIM.

Ennis provided an overview of Georgia AIM, while Ferguson spoke on the Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium and Kurfess detailed the AMPF origin story, before introducing four live demonstrations.

The first of these featured Chuck Easley, Professor of the Practice in the Scheller College of Business, who elaborated on supply chain issues. Afterward Alan Burl of EPICS: Enhanced Preparation for Intelligent Cybermanufacturing Systems and mechanical engineer Melissa Foley led a brief information session on hybrid turbine blade repair.

Finally, GaMEP project manager Michael Barker expounded on GaMEP’s cybersecurity services, and Deryk Stoops of Central Georgia Technical College detailed the Georgia AIM-sponsored AI robotics training program at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center, which offers training and assistance to those making the transition from military to civilian life.

The topic of artificial intelligence, in all its subtlety and nuance, was of particular interest to Carter.

“AI is the buzz in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “Whether it be healthcare, energy [or] science, we on the Energy and Commerce Committee look at it from a sense [that there’s] a very delicate balance, and we understand the responsibility. But we want to try to benefit from this as much as we can.”

He continued: “I heard something today I haven’t heard before, and that is instead of calling it artificial intelligence, we refer to it as ‘augmented intelligence.’ I think that’s a great term, and certainly something I’m going to take back to Washington with me.”

Said Ennis, “It was a pleasure to host Rep. Carter for a firsthand look at AMPF, which is uniquely positioned to offer businesses the opportunity to collaborate with Georgia Tech researchers and students and to hear about Georgia AIM.”

She added, “At Georgia AIM, we’re committed to making the state a leader in artificial intelligence-assisted manufacturing, and we’re grateful for Congressman Carter’s interest and support of our efforts.”

Summary sentence

Buddy Carter visit focused on scope of innovation to address challenges

Summary

Visit includes overview of Georgia AIM project.

Dateline

Wed, 04/24/2024 - 12:00

eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

Contact

Eve Tolpa
eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

Buddy Carter

artificial intelligence

Georgia AIM

Donna Ennis

Enterprise Innovation Institute

AMPF

Chuck Easley

Steven Ferguson

Aaron Stebner

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Research

Mercury ID

674353

Source updated

Thu, 04/25/2024 - 22:21

Economic Development Administration Awards Georgia Tech $65 Million for AI Manufacturing Project

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 15:27:45 +0000

Economic Development Administration Awards Georgia Tech $65 Million for AI Manufacturing Project admin Fri, 09/02/2022 - 11:27

The Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a $65 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support a statewide initiative that combines artificial intelligence and manufacturing innovations with transformational workforce and outreach programs. The grant will increase job and wage opportunities in distressed and rural communities, as well as among historically underrepresented and underserved groups.

The Georgia Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Technology Corridor (GA-AIM) effort is one of 21 winning projects the White House announced today under the Biden administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The award follows a $500,000 Phase 1 feasibility grant the project received in 2021.

“Georgia Tech is honored to lead this vision of collaborative innovation and economic development across all regions of our state,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “This award underscores the Institute's commitment to leverage our resources and expertise to address great challenges, serve our state and nation, and amplify our impact on the world.”

The selected awardees represent projects in 24 states with grant amounts ranging from $25 million to $65 million.

“As we invest and grow critical industries in the U.S., we want to create industry hubs in diverse communities across the country,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement. “These grants will provide critical and historic funding directly to community coalitions to invest in new infrastructure, research and development, and workforce development programs while creating good-paying jobs, supporting workers, and prioritizing equity.”

The GA-AIM project is led by Aaron Stebner, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering; Donna Ennis, director of Diversity Engagement and Program Development in Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute and also director of its Georgia MBDA Business Center; and Thomas R. Kurfess, executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute.

“The ability to integrate our discoveries and innovations here at the AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility with novel workforce programs and transformative outreach experiences is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something greater in ways that increase opportunity and prosperity for all Georgians,” Stebner said. “Through an equitable AI manufacturing innovation focus, the assembled coalition of partners and stakeholders across the state will build a more prosperous and resilient Georgia and set a nation-leading example.”

The AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility, which will allow for government and industry pilot trials, cybersecurity games, and workforce training for AI manufacturing technologies, is just one component of Georgia Tech’s support for the project.

Two of Georgia Tech’s commercialization programs — VentureLab and I-Corps South — will create a center for the commercialization of AI manufacturing technologies into local and regional startups through training built on the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps curriculum.

The Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Tech’s economic development arm, will engage in focused outreach and technical assistance to small- and mid-sized manufacturers and minority business enterprises through its Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) and Georgia MBDA Business Center programs. Other Enterprise Innovation Institute programs include the Economic Development Lab, the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, and ATDC, which will focus on outreach and engagement in distressed and underserved parts of the state, create workforce development programs, implementation strategies, and attract outside investment.

“The work that we will accomplish with our broad spectrum of partners in this new endeavor will leverage the latest technology in artificial intelligence to grow and strengthen our workforce ensuring that the growing manufacturing sector in Georgia has the skilled workforce that it requires for today’s as well as tomorrow’s needs,” Kurfess said. “At the same the high paying and secure jobs will be going to a very diverse population base from across the state, providing an equitable robust future for all citizens of Georgia.”

Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain & Logistics Institute will study the impact of automation technologies, build automation solutions tailored for rural manufacturers, and create programs that lower the barrier for rural manufacturers’ access to use the AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility.

Finally, Georgia Tech’s K-12 InVenture Prize and Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing programs will expand their emphasis to rural and underserved areas of the state by piloting a rural regional event with a region-specific prize. They will also create supplemental lessons centered on AI and data science that will be part of a K-12 InVenture Prize curriculum website.

“We are excited to be a part of this collaborative effort to catalyze research and innovation in AI and manufacturing across the state of Georgia,” said Chaouki T. Abdallah, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. “This project aligns with our goals to expand economic opportunity in our state's underserved communities, and to serve as a collaborative hub for interdisciplinary research that advances technology and improves people’s lives.”

Georgia Tech is working with a coalition of statewide partners to create a foundation that supports existing business growth and new business ventures across the state especially in underserved communities and rural Georgia.

“All across the state of Georgia, our programs in the Enterprise Innovation Institute work hard to unlock potential and foster economic opportunity for all, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities,” said David Bridges, vice president of the Enterprise Innovation Institute, and co-author of the grant proposal with Stebner. “This project leverages what we and our partners each do best to help achieve our broader Georgia AIM goals.”

Tech’s partners include the:

· Georgia Department of Community Affairs

· Georgia Cyber Center

· Houston County Development Authority

· KITTLabs

· Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs

· Robins Air Force Base 21st Century Partnership

· Spelman College

· Southwest Georgia Regional Commission

· Technologists of Color

· Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative

· Technical College System of Georgia

· University of Georgia

“What's really special about this effort is that it's centered on a wholistic approach with innovation, not just one piece of AI or manufacturing,” Ennis said. “We're working collectively statewide to transform and propel forward our industry, communities, and most importantly, our people.”

That collective approach is critical to GA-AIM’s success, said Houston County Development Authority Executive Director Angie Gheesling.

“The Development Authority and the 21st Century Partnership lead the Middle Georgia Innovation Project, which includes 11 counties in the Middle Georgia region, a diverse landscape of communities from rural to urban,” she said. “This award further facilitates the continuation of several years of collaboration between local leadership, our universities, private industry, and Robins Air Force Base to position ourselves as a Software Center of Excellence. We are grateful to Georgia Tech for the opportunity to partner and contribute to the overall future success of GA-AIM.”

Burunda Prince, chief operating officer of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, echoed those sentiments, saying its reach is exponentially amplified through the GA-AIM partnership.

The Center will create a mobile, 5,000-square-foot LaunchPad AI Innovation Studio to provide prototyping and proof-of-concept development of physical products. Black entrepreneurs in rural and urban Georgia will have access to equipment, training, and mentoring, and LaunchPad AI will also be open to AI InVenture teams from Atlanta’s urban K-12 schools.

“As part of the Build Back Better grant, the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs will help Black businesses leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence to provide better data and insights that will build stronger companies and drive greater wealth generation,” Prince said. “What makes this opportunity unique is the cross collaboration of partners which will engage and empower communities across Georgia through access to technologies that often are inaccessible.”

Equally as important is the education component and the ability for it to be a bridge to new skills and opportunities for Georgia workers, said Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier.

“The funding for the project will equip four TCSG colleges with state-of-the-art manufacturing studios that will showcase the clean, safe state of modern manufacturing,” Dozier said. “Automation in manufacturing creates a demand for more skilled jobs, giving TCSG the charge to strengthen the workforce pipeline by training Georgians in these exciting, new technologies. The Georgia AIM project provides the funding to meet these opportunities head on.”

###

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

About the Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.

Summary sentence

Largest grant ever awarded to a Georgia Tech-led coalition of partners to drive Build Back Better initiatives

Summary

Largest grant ever awarded to a Georgia Tech-led coalition of partners to drive Build Back Better initiatives

Dateline

Fri, 09/02/2022 - 12:00

peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu

Contact

Writer: Péralte C. Paul I peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu I 404.316.1210

Media contact: Ayana Isles | aisles3@gatech.edu | 404.660.2927

Associated importer

Keywords

manufacturing

GA-AIM

Aaron Stebner

David Bridges

Donna Ennis

build back better

economic development

Enterprise Innovation Institute

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Categories

Business

Economic Development and Policy

Mercury ID

660829

Source updated

Fri, 09/02/2022 - 10:55