Weber State University
Location |
Ogden, UT |
|
---|---|---|
Build to Scale Program |
Venture Challenge |
|
Project Name |
Northern Utah Accelerator for Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Products |
|
Award Amount |
Federal Share |
Local Match |
$749,175 |
$798,699 |
Weber State University (WSU), Grow Utah, and the Utah Advanced Materials Manufacturing Initiative (UAMMI) will create the Northern Utah Accelerator (NUA). The NUA will address three critical areas. First, the need for a cohesive and efficient networking infrastructure, an acknowledged platform, and strategy to connect researchers, private industry, Hill Air Force Base, innovators, support resources, and entrepreneurs in advanced manufacturing and materials. Second, to create a maker space in Northern Utah that prioritizes advanced materials manufacturing and incubation. Consistent feedback from entrepreneurs, especially those in the advanced materials space, centers upon the lack of a location to build and test prototypes of new products. Third, UAMMI has found a significant demand for more mentoring and support services for entrepreneurs, thus a need to increase capacity for mentoring and support services for entrepreneurs in the consumer and advanced materials products industries to launch innovations and scale companies. The NUA will address these critical deficiencies and foster homegrown scalable companies while addressing economic distress in the region.