PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has won a $100,000 federal grant to help build a manufacturing and design center in the state, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee and members of the state congressional delegation said Wednesday.
The grant was one of 26 announced by the U.S. Commerce Department under an Obama administration initiative, called the Investing in Manufacturing Community Partnership.
It will pay for the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, academic, nonprofit and industry leaders to collect information and develop a plan for a collaborative center providing support services, worker training, research and development assistance, and product development to local manufacturers
The EDC and Rhode Island Foundation each are committing $25,000 in matching cash to the project, with the EDC also pledging $50,000 worth of in-kind services.
“Through collaboration with manufacturers, universities and local partners, we will be able to provide the necessary tools to help manufacturers invest in innovation, integrate technology, workforce training and new business models to thrive in a competitive global marketplace,” said EDC Executive Director Marcel A. Valois in a news release.