In Q4-2023, the Charlotte Region was awarded an EDA Tech Hub Strategy Development grant for building a regional ecosystem for commercializing precision optics and precision metrology technologies. These two core technology areas will help provide more advanced robotics, automation, and manufacturing tools, systems, and processes for domestic manufacturing capacity and for national security interests.
The lead organizations for the grant submission were UNC Charlotte, Centralina, and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. As part of the grant submission, it was critical to identify a consortium of industry, education, economic development, and workforce development partners that will assist in further development of our regional strategy. Known as the Carolinas Innovation Center for Optics and Metrology (CICOM) consortium, this group will be working together over the next 12-18 months to further develop the tech hub strategy for the region.
On Dec. 5, UNC Charlotte hosted a kickoff meeting for all consortium partners to begin work on the strategy development process. As part of the kickoff, the UNC Charlotte team shared with all participants the feedback from the EDA on why the CICOM submission was awarded the grant. The reasons highlight regional strengths and differentiators.
The EDA recognized the strength of the ecosystem here in the Charlotte Region. The EDA highlighted the strong collection of partners in the consortium, a strong industry base where the technology can be implemented, and potential commercialization pathways that will allow the technology to drive competitive growth for the region and broadly the country. The second set of reasons focused on the strength of UNC Charlotte. The university has 30 patents in metrology and optics and is viewed as a worldwide center of excellence in precision metrology. Finally, the equity and diversity of the consortium members in the application was considered a strength.
Throughout the next year, the consortium members will be working on three key strategy areas. The first area of focus will be building awareness of the technology in the region, understanding the barriers for implementation, and developing solutions to overcome the barriers. For the second part of the strategy development, a team will concentrate on commercialization opportunities for the different aspects of metrology and optics pioneered at UNC Charlotte. Lastly, teams will be working on the workforce training needed to ensure the various technologies can be implemented successfully in the region. Upon completion of the strategy development process, the region will apply for a tech hub designation. This designation will provide additional funding for further development and implementation, building on our regional strength and creating a competitive advantage globally for the United States.
