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New programs in NY, WI make manufacturing productivity a priority

November 16, 2017

Overall growth in manufacturing should accelerate this year and grow even more in 2018, according to recent projections from the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI). As a way to support manufacturers — especially small and medium sized ones — two states recently announced programs to boost their productivity. In Wisconsin, The Transformational Productivity Initiative (TPI) will develop tools for companies to assess and improve productivity, while New York has developed a grant program to boost productivity in key manufacturing sectors.

Designed to improve productivity performance in Wisconsin’s small and midsize manufacturers, The Transformational Productivity Initiative (TPI) is a new public private partnership between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) and the Milwaukee 7 (M7). WEDC has awarded M7 a $190,000 matching grant to implement the new program, which seeks to perform two main tasks. First, the initiative will develop a set of diagnostic and assessment tools designed to educate companies on the factors affecting productivity, such as leadership and strategy, enterprise excellence, human capital management, technology, and growth and innovation. After they develop the tools, the TPI will deploy a pilot program with five to 10 manufacturers over a two-year period. The pilot companies would implement those measures recommended in the first phase, and if successful, the program could be deployed throughout the state.

Manufacturing Technology Advancement Grants are a new program from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation (NYSTAR) with a similar purpose. The grants, which are for a maximum of $50,000 and require 20 percent cost share, target small and mid-sized manufacturers seeking to improve profitability through technology adoption and advancement. The program focuses on four key industries: integrated photonics, additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, and composites. The program is made possible through an initiative of the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership focused on increasing the impact of the Manufacturing USA network on manufacturers in New York State, according to FuzeHub

New York, Wisconsinmanufacturing