DVIRC and NJMEP Awarded $1.5 Million Grant to Develop Energy Efficient Building Products for the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster

Grant complements $122 million U.S. Department of Energy project

PHILADELPHIA--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) and New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NJMEP) have received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) to help small to medium size manufacturers in the Philadelphia region commercialize new technologies in conjunction with the recently announced $122 million Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Innovation Hub located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The new NIST award and the DOE Energy Innovation HUB are both key components of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) for Energy Efficient Buildings at The Navy Yard. The goals of the GPIC are to improve energy efficiency of buildings, and create jobs in Greater Philadelphia, the Mid Atlantic region, and beyond.

“We have a very important manufacturing sector in our region, providing an essential ingredient to translate innovative technologies into commercially viable products”

The three-year grant will help connect the approximately 6,500 manufacturers in the region with the research and development initiatives at the Navy Yard and provide a pathway for energy-efficient building products to be commercialized in the marketplace. The project represents the first time federal, state, and local public and private assets will be shared to create a formal applied research, commercialization, manufacturing, and workforce education cluster.

Commenting on the award, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said, “The Philadelphia region boasts a significant number of small advanced manufacturers that provide the resources necessary to accelerate green technology commercialization. This sector of the innovation network is vital to generating new jobs and economic growth.”

“We have a very important manufacturing sector in our region, providing an essential ingredient to translate innovative technologies into commercially viable products,” said Joe Houldin, chief executive officer for the DVIRC. “By fully integrating these manufacturers into all aspects of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) project activity the region will gain economic growth, job creation, as well as a proven and competitive U.S. clean energy model.”

DVIRC and NJMEP collective roles will be to connect Philadelphia’s manufacturers to various projects being developed at the Energy Innovation Hub including R&D, design and testing of new products, materials, technologies, and systems and commercialize those opportunities to grow business value and spur job creation. Together they will leverage their relationships with manufacturers to identify technologies such as sensors, new building material and computer simulation tools, which can be developed into components to be licensed and manufactured.

“DVIRC and the NJMEP will play a key role in research, development, demonstration, and deployment critical to producing innovative and marketable products,” said Dr. Henry C. Foley, Penn State vice president for research and director of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) for Energy Efficient Buildings.

The mission of the Energy Innovation Hub is to research, develop and demonstrate highly efficient building components, systems, and models which are applicable to both retrofit and new construction. The Hub team will pursue a research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) program targeting technologies for single buildings and district-wide systems.

John Grady, executive vice president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), Philadelphia’s primary economic development corporation and master developer of The Navy Yard, noted that ”DVIRC’s work to link R&D and manufacturing in energy efficiency sector will be critical to driving job growth and investment, not only at The Navy Yard but throughout the city and the region.”

“The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Partnership looks forward to aggressively supporting the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster,” said Robert Loderstedt, CEO, NJMEP. “We are proud to share this award with DVIRC because we both are committed to a vibrant advanced manufacturing sector, and believe this award will help manufacturing take advantage of burgeoning green technologies.”

If you’re interested in speaking with DVIRC or its partners, please contact Tony DeFazio at DeFazio Communications, LLC via phone: [phone] or by email at: [e-mail].

About DVIRC – DVIRC is a leading private, non-profit economic development organization established in 1988 to serve the needs of 4,500 small to mid size advanced manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in five counties throughout the Philadelphia region. The organization’s primary focus is to grow business value for clients through consulting services, talent development and regional, state and federal resource assistance, helping to establish the region as an internationally recognized leader in manufacturing competitiveness. We believe growing business value improves the standard of living and quality of life for those that live and/or work in the region. A diverse board of directors comprised of executives from the manufacturing, banking, legal and economic development communities govern the DVIRC.

About NJMEP – NJMEP is a member of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), a network of centers throughout the U.S. The centers are part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The MEPs were created to help small and mid-sized companies improve their competitive position in the market by focusing on five critical profitable growth areas: continuous improvement, technology acceleration, supplier development, sustainability and workforce development. As a trusted advisor to its clients, NJMEP helps them strategically plan and implement programs to increase productivity, improve economic competitiveness, and enhance their technological capabilities. As a result, its clients save time and money, invest in capital improvements and workforce development, create and retain jobs and achieve higher profits. To learn more about NJMEP visit njmep.org