The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluci announced today that Lyft, a Detroit-based company from the Department of Defense’s National Institute for Manufacturing Innovation, and the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for one of the institute’s facilities on the island to be used for applied research, development and advanced manufacturing.
With the MoU, LIFT is committed to supporting the island’s manufacturers to further develop their technologies and support the workforce with advanced manufacturing training opportunities. As part of the agreement, DDEC will allocate $2 million to support LIFT Puerto Rico over the next two years and the institute has committed to contribute $2 million of its own funds. LIFT is currently looking for locations for the facility. The agreement is part of an announcement made earlier this month about the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program, overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Engineering, funding to support the LIFT Puerto Rico headquarters Is. ,
“Puerto Rico is recognized for its specialized labor force and now LIFT will bring to Puerto Rico new world-class advanced manufacturing technology development capabilities and provide an important economic asset that will enhance our competitiveness, industry readiness, economic growth and increased productivity .. labor force. .. We are excited about this new alliance and are confident of its positive impact on our economy”, Pierluisi said.
Meanwhile, LIFT chief executive Nigel Francis stressed that “it behooves us, as the National Construction Institute, to support manufacturers and their workforce where they are and where we can.” We thank both DDEC and the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program for their support of the LIFT initiative.”
DDEC’s secretary, Manuel Cidre Miranda, commented that the manufacturing sector represents almost half of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP), so the development of the labor force “is essential to support these manufacturing operations and its workforce. The best skills is what allows us to compete in the world. This is an important collaboration with LIFT as it will bring its leadership, manufacturing expertise and the current 300-member ecosystem to support the manufacturing base here in the United States.
Meanwhile, Luis Ramos, former president of the Puerto Rico Aerospace Technology Consortium (PRATC), said that PRATC “welcomes LIFT to the aerospace and defense community in Puerto Rico. PRTAC aligns with LIFT’s mission in support of the economy and greater national security.” Perfectly aligned.”
Puerto Rico has a long history of manufacturing and a diversified manufacturing economy, which includes biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, agricultural sciences, aerospace, electronics, information systems, engineering, construction, and apparel.
LIFT: Technology and Talent Development
Founded in 2014 in Detroit, Michigan, LIFT is a non-profit Department of Defense National Manufacturing Innovation Institute, part of a larger network. manufacturing usawhose mission is to advance American manufacturing into the future through technology and talent development in support of our economy and national security.
As a public-private partnership, LIFT brings together government, industry and academia to accelerate the connections between materials, processes, systems and talent across the US manufacturing base. That national ecosystem includes large original equipment manufacturers, major academic and research institutions. Everyone from across the country, including small and medium-sized manufacturers and start-up organizations, is working to establish the United States as the world leader in advanced manufacturing.
LIFT operates two programs to achieve its goal: Leading Innovation for Tomorrow (“leading innovation for tomorrow”), its technology program, and learning innovation for tomorrow (“Learning Innovation for Tomorrow”), its talent show. Both programs are run from the LIFT headquarters facility in Detroit, which serves as a demonstration center and a “testing center” for the “art of potential” in the future of construction, where the institute’s national ecosystem designs, tests, and conducts research. Could Prototype new materials, processes and systems.
Lift training initiatives also include Operation Next (“Operation Next”), an innovative training and credential program that provides a blended-learning curriculum for active duty military, National Guard and Reserve members, equipping them with industry-recognized standards-based Enables earning portable credentials. , The program recently completed a successful pilot in Detroit and Pittsburgh, where it supported small and medium-sized organizations and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
