RALEIGH — President Barack Obama told hundreds at N.C. State University Wednesday that 2014 would be a year of action — and one of the first steps will be to headquarter a high-tech manufacturing hub on NCSU’s campus.
“Long term, the challenge of making sure everybody who works hard can get ahead in today’s economy is so important that we can’t wait for Congress to solve it,” he said in the speech. “Where I can act on my own without Congress, I’m going to do so.
“And today, I’m here to act — to help make Raleigh-Durham, and America, a magnet for the good, high-tech manufacturing jobs that a growing middle class requires and that are going to continue to keep this country on the cutting edge.”
NCSU will lead a collaboration of business and universities in a manufacturing innovation institute for next generation power electronics.
The Department of Energy is granting $70 million over five years, and a combination of money from the winning business, universities and the state will match that. Gov. Pat McCrory announced that North Carolina has committed a minimum of $10 million throughout five years.
The UNC system, which is part of the collaboration, will give $5 million, said Terri Lomax, NCSU vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development.
Lomax said students, faculty and staff will be involved, but new hires will also be made.
The institute will develop new materials that are better at dealing with energy, Lomax said. New research — in which NCSU researchers have played a major part — has found a way to make energy transfer more efficiently, she said.
Lomax said the institute will translate the research into manufacturing.